CHAI: The Eternal Indian Fascination!

CHAI: The Eternal Indian Fascination! A profoundly entrenched attribute of Indian daily life from the high mountain passes of Kashmir to the yellow beaches of Kerala, Chai in India isn’t the stuff of the past; it is very much an ingredient of the here and now. Chai is much more than a beverage for Indians. It’s a fraction of their culture. It reverberates a feeling and invokes a remembrance or an emotion. 

India unquestionably isn’t the only country that asserts tea drinking as its national pastime, and it no doubt tussles with a lengthy line of contestants for having the oldest tea-drinking custom in the world. But drinking tea From workers lingering at a bus station to industrialists stumbling on a magnificent roof terrace, everyone across the country gulps a few chai glasses every day irrespective of age, class, or community. 

Chai is a pleasant and appetizing treat. It’s a spicy tea cooked leisurely so the flavors trickle out and dribble into the hot water. Then it’s milked & sugared and served boiling hot in a glass. Everywhere you look in India look, people sip chai. 

This invaluable standard of masala chai is usually made using a mixture of black tea, milk, spices, and a discretionary amount of sugar or sweetener. Strong connotations of cardamom and cinnamon generally dominate this delectable beverage, although the nuanced balance of spices drops down to the individual chai-wala, the tea stall owner who maintains his spice mix an intimately guarded secret. 

Recipes fluctuate between vendors and locals find a chai wallah with the ideal mix of spices, ginger, milk, and sugar, and they become their permanent customers. This is an enthralling series of chai tales in India. 

The humble chai comprehends that India is a diverse nation and facilitates local versions of it. For those grounded in the native taste, there is Ginger and Masala chai. But for those enthusiastic about discovering other cultures, there are versions like Tandoori and Irani chai. Contrasting to fruits and vegetables, there is no constituent of ‘freshness’ engaged with chai. If you’re the final customer of the day, you acquire the thickest, creamiest chai available. 

Like a true Indian, the chai realizes that life is about taking pleasure in small things. Those looking for a fit lifestyle can go for Green Tea or Lemon Tea. But chai in its purest form engages a few calories thrown in as a blessing. Chai moreover allows you to coddle your vices without judging you. Do you have a sweet tooth? Go for your chai with biscuits. Craving street food? Help yourself with a samosa!

Chai is a momentary stop in the business of the day, a time of reflection, a punctuation mark, refreshment and relief, and frequently — a time for conversation and cordiality.

Though it’s a legacy of the British, Chai in India is ensconced in the culture. It’s hard to envisage an India without chai. As the sun mounts on our streets, chai shops are the foremost to open. As people start to go about their jobs, they definitely stop at the local chai shop. From sports to the economy to politics, the chai shop is the most inclusive and reachable space for citizens of the country.

If you desire to flaunt your chai skills and do it the local way, wait for a drizzling afternoon and drink your chai with some crispy hot pakora or samosa, with munificent lashings of tamarind chutney on the side.

If you want to try out the best one here in the UK, don’t forget to visit Desi Hype!