While the western world has woken up to the joys of drinking tea over coffee only in last few decades; for more than a century, millions of Indians wake up and start their day with a freshly brewed cup of ‘Chai’ each day.
Tea is staple and yet special in India. The concept of raising a toast is reserved for urban upper and upper-middle class people (population that follows and admires the western culture), the rest of India celebrates small and big occasions over a cup of tea! Friendships, relationships start with sipping tea together. Tea is the first thing offered when you visit someone’s place, be it a household or an office.
Unlike China or the western world where green tea is the preferred choice, the form of tea that is most popular in India is an evolved form of what Britishers introduced during the colonial times. That is, black tea brewed with milk, water, and sugar. Something that is popular by the name of Chai-latte in the western world. There are different ways the same tea preparation can be tweaked to personalize it for one’s taste buds. Some like it ‘kadak’ (strong), some like it with malai(cream), some like Masala Tea (by adding spices such as Cardamom, Cloves, Bay leaf, Cinnamon and many more). During winter, the most sought after is Adrak-wali-chai (Tea with ginger). A steaming cup of hot tea with ginger blended into it instantly fills you with an inner warmth and comfort that you crave on a cold winter morning.
Even though tea has been around in India since 750 years before Christ, the way we know tea in its current form can probably be traced back to the colonial times, when Britishers introduced their interpretation of tea preparation to the Indian people. The British East India company saw the potential of the pure form of tea that was grown in different parts of India and started the commercial production of tea. The most popular and highest quality of tea from India are Darjeeling Tea, Assam Tea and Nilgiri Tea. India is the top producer of tea and despite tea being a staple beverage with a huge domestic demand, India is one of the largest exporters.
Every Indian household has a special memory of growing around tea lovers. Here is a story from one of my friends who doesn’t drink tea himself but has a special connection with tea. Like any other middle-class Indian household, he grew up in an environment where the day started with a saucepan full of boiling tea. His dad was an avid tea drinker and needed several cups of tea throughout the day. He (the father) started his day with a cup of tea and even before his breakfast he would consume at least 3 cups. Most people in an Indian household setup would have an evening snack with a steaming cup of tea and that would be the end of their tea drinking quota for the day (exception are students and office people working night shifts, who would rely on several cups of tea to help them through the night). His father’s love for tea was beyond usual that and he would need a cup of tea before he ate his dinner. I really wanted to share this passion for tea of a non tea drinker with all of you!
I am sure there are many of you reading this and thinking, “hey this is not unusual, my mom or dad does that too… or even I like my tea at night”.. Do share your experiences and your special memories in the comments below. I am sure other readers of TeaBuddy will love to hear all about it!
