I don't know for sure if i love tea. However one thing i can be sure of, it is a habit. This blog is dedicated to my perception of tea. Tea is an integral part of life in India. Tea time is a ritual that is more religiously followed than lunch time by everyone young and old. Different parts of the country have their own styles of making the tea, as per the regional needs.
The first thing in the morning after my mantra and yoga sadhana comes the time of pet - puja (addressing the hunger). Eating program is initiated with a bowl of fresh fruit and dates or dried figs. Then is the turn of the cup of chai or tea. And so the day begins.
I don't even remember at what age i got initiated to this practice. My earliest memories go to the days, when my brother and me would grab our tea cups with their saucers in the evenings. For the along with we filled two bowls of moori (puffed rice) with a handy spoon. We soaked the moori in tea and scooped them up with the spoon and ate. It was such a messy and fun treat. We soaked moori till all the tea got over due to soaking and then we would demand for more, which was generally there, The whole thing was about having fun drinking tea. The tea would be mostly Brooke Bond red label tea. Boiled with water, milk and sugar. Strained into the cups and served. The aroma of tea wafting into the room meant it is morning or evening or maybe there is a guest at home. My Dad wasn't much of tea addict and stuck to the morning+evening tea ritual. In other ways we enjoyed tea time goodies was tea with glucose biscuit. Take the biscuit dip it in tea and have. Sometimes the biscuit would break and fall on my dress or floor, when the spoon came handy to scoop it up and gulp down the mushy treat. Just the memories of those days gladdens my heart. Bread and butter or bread, butter and jam were the other tea companions. Again the bread cut into rectangles or triangles and dipped in tea and had. Then my brother learnt a new way and introduced me to Bread, butter with sugar sprinkled in it. It could be had without soaking also, as the crunchy sugar bits inside the sandwich was fun to munch on. and sip, no... slurrp the tea. When tea was very hot we would pour it in the saucer and slurpp making loud loud sounds and burst out into raptures of joy. During holidays when we ganged up with cousins, we would compete with each other as to who made the loudest sound. And so those were the juvenile days when tea was a source of entertainment and game.
My first memory of having tea out of home was at my best friend forever's house. I was still in school, while Padmaja was in High school i.e. class 11. They were Telugu brahmin family. Their tiffin, lunch and dinner time was fixed. And Aunty made the yummiest snacks I have ever had. Don't know if it was the age when the sensorial sensitivities were still awakening. Now the tea I had at her place had a very typical flavor to it. Somewhat mediciny. They added a dash of Protinex to it. I didn't dislike it because I had accepted it as the flavor of Tea at Padmaja's place. After polishing off upma or dosa or idli or adai or wadai's with pachdi's the tea punctuated the gastronomic treat.
As I grew up tea lost it's importance, it was taken for granted, like brushing teeth. Neither did i make a big deal nor cared for the flavor. I was growing and my sensory experiences were directed elsewhere. College canteen teas were not anything i much remember, nor cutting chai, as we ddi not have enough pocket money to spend. Yet on a good day when we went to a restaurant we three best friends forever shared a single cup of tea at Ramakrishna Hotel. And i remember putting saunf in it and drinking.
Again tea went into background for a very long time through the second decade of living. At restaurants the dosa idli was followed with a cup of tea. Usual stuff, nothing to relish or cherish or write home about. Tea machine teas now made entry to cater to the busy and working class people, in a rush, at railway stations. When I did my internship at Nelco, we got tea and snacks in the evening at our desks. During my trainee period at Cadbury's there was Lewis Baba, who ensured Tea Flasks with a plateful of biscuits during Tea breaks. In the 2000s the Barrista's and Cafe's sprouted up slowly in Mumbai. Into my thirties suddenly tea again cught my fantasy. I was in the world of animation for some time and now i was with the artists who were savvy and classy. We cared for the finer things in life. We were constantly refining our habits. Tea became an artistic expression. The way one had tea, whether it was brewed or not. At an artist friends house i was introduced to tea made with milk powder. They did not boil the tea in water, it was brewed. The balance of tea, sugar and milk powder had to be right. Soaked just right to bring out the correct flavor. The tea could be had with or without the milk. Then another way of making tea was putting the tea leaves (powder) in strainer and pouring the hot water on it. I started enjoying the subtleties of drinking tea. It now had a character, an attitude, a class and style about it. The tea mugs replaced the tea cups. Though the tea powder was still the same Red Label. The preparation style and the subtle aspect of flavor was a new factor. At Barrista i had the earl grey tea and fell in love with it. I started looking forward to sipping on tea with a a heightened interest. Tea became a symbol of one's sensitivity and higher taste. Tea became a statement of class. Being a Graphic Designer it made me feel good. The Chinese Jasmine flavored Green Tea pot, introduced to me while assisting the author of a book on Indian Architecture meant another degree of refinement. Wow, now the Tea was no longer a mundane affair. At Sir's house Mild Tea made with a hint of tea leaves and lot of milk, Tilk made by aunty after dinner was another very mild affair, like listening to a soothing rendition of Hindustani Sangeet on the banks of Ganga.
In ml life experience the Tea Encounters and Rendezvous is worth listing out. I am surprised this unassuming beverage, that is taken so for granted, can be such a statement of lifestyle.
I doubt any other beverage can boast of this kind of variety.
And even after this, there is a lot i have yet to explore in the tea world.
Tea is not just a part of daily routine for many, it is also a matter of lifestyle, staus, Social mannerisms and etiquettes. The crockeries involved and dressing is in itself a matter of pure aesthetic flavoring. One could be indulgent or frugal.
The way one can discern a tea drinker from an enthusiast is probably by observing if one is drinking tea, having it or sipping on it.
The first thing in the morning after my mantra and yoga sadhana comes the time of pet - puja (addressing the hunger). Eating program is initiated with a bowl of fresh fruit and dates or dried figs. Then is the turn of the cup of chai or tea. And so the day begins.
I don't even remember at what age i got initiated to this practice. My earliest memories go to the days, when my brother and me would grab our tea cups with their saucers in the evenings. For the along with we filled two bowls of moori (puffed rice) with a handy spoon. We soaked the moori in tea and scooped them up with the spoon and ate. It was such a messy and fun treat. We soaked moori till all the tea got over due to soaking and then we would demand for more, which was generally there, The whole thing was about having fun drinking tea. The tea would be mostly Brooke Bond red label tea. Boiled with water, milk and sugar. Strained into the cups and served. The aroma of tea wafting into the room meant it is morning or evening or maybe there is a guest at home. My Dad wasn't much of tea addict and stuck to the morning+evening tea ritual. In other ways we enjoyed tea time goodies was tea with glucose biscuit. Take the biscuit dip it in tea and have. Sometimes the biscuit would break and fall on my dress or floor, when the spoon came handy to scoop it up and gulp down the mushy treat. Just the memories of those days gladdens my heart. Bread and butter or bread, butter and jam were the other tea companions. Again the bread cut into rectangles or triangles and dipped in tea and had. Then my brother learnt a new way and introduced me to Bread, butter with sugar sprinkled in it. It could be had without soaking also, as the crunchy sugar bits inside the sandwich was fun to munch on. and sip, no... slurrp the tea. When tea was very hot we would pour it in the saucer and slurpp making loud loud sounds and burst out into raptures of joy. During holidays when we ganged up with cousins, we would compete with each other as to who made the loudest sound. And so those were the juvenile days when tea was a source of entertainment and game.
My first memory of having tea out of home was at my best friend forever's house. I was still in school, while Padmaja was in High school i.e. class 11. They were Telugu brahmin family. Their tiffin, lunch and dinner time was fixed. And Aunty made the yummiest snacks I have ever had. Don't know if it was the age when the sensorial sensitivities were still awakening. Now the tea I had at her place had a very typical flavor to it. Somewhat mediciny. They added a dash of Protinex to it. I didn't dislike it because I had accepted it as the flavor of Tea at Padmaja's place. After polishing off upma or dosa or idli or adai or wadai's with pachdi's the tea punctuated the gastronomic treat.
As I grew up tea lost it's importance, it was taken for granted, like brushing teeth. Neither did i make a big deal nor cared for the flavor. I was growing and my sensory experiences were directed elsewhere. College canteen teas were not anything i much remember, nor cutting chai, as we ddi not have enough pocket money to spend. Yet on a good day when we went to a restaurant we three best friends forever shared a single cup of tea at Ramakrishna Hotel. And i remember putting saunf in it and drinking.
Again tea went into background for a very long time through the second decade of living. At restaurants the dosa idli was followed with a cup of tea. Usual stuff, nothing to relish or cherish or write home about. Tea machine teas now made entry to cater to the busy and working class people, in a rush, at railway stations. When I did my internship at Nelco, we got tea and snacks in the evening at our desks. During my trainee period at Cadbury's there was Lewis Baba, who ensured Tea Flasks with a plateful of biscuits during Tea breaks. In the 2000s the Barrista's and Cafe's sprouted up slowly in Mumbai. Into my thirties suddenly tea again cught my fantasy. I was in the world of animation for some time and now i was with the artists who were savvy and classy. We cared for the finer things in life. We were constantly refining our habits. Tea became an artistic expression. The way one had tea, whether it was brewed or not. At an artist friends house i was introduced to tea made with milk powder. They did not boil the tea in water, it was brewed. The balance of tea, sugar and milk powder had to be right. Soaked just right to bring out the correct flavor. The tea could be had with or without the milk. Then another way of making tea was putting the tea leaves (powder) in strainer and pouring the hot water on it. I started enjoying the subtleties of drinking tea. It now had a character, an attitude, a class and style about it. The tea mugs replaced the tea cups. Though the tea powder was still the same Red Label. The preparation style and the subtle aspect of flavor was a new factor. At Barrista i had the earl grey tea and fell in love with it. I started looking forward to sipping on tea with a a heightened interest. Tea became a symbol of one's sensitivity and higher taste. Tea became a statement of class. Being a Graphic Designer it made me feel good. The Chinese Jasmine flavored Green Tea pot, introduced to me while assisting the author of a book on Indian Architecture meant another degree of refinement. Wow, now the Tea was no longer a mundane affair. At Sir's house Mild Tea made with a hint of tea leaves and lot of milk, Tilk made by aunty after dinner was another very mild affair, like listening to a soothing rendition of Hindustani Sangeet on the banks of Ganga.
In ml life experience the Tea Encounters and Rendezvous is worth listing out. I am surprised this unassuming beverage, that is taken so for granted, can be such a statement of lifestyle.
I doubt any other beverage can boast of this kind of variety.
- Ek Cup Cha - The daily mug of chai. Assam tea boiled / brewed, sugar and milk, since childhood till date.
- Kulhad Chai - Chai served in clay cups / bhaa(r)d (in Bangla language) at Asansol station and Deoghar.
- Protinex Tea - Normal tea flavored with Protinex at my BFF's house.
- Choffee - Tea and Coffee mix. My bro's introduction.
- Butter Tea - Normal Cha with a dollop of butter floating on it again my brother's addition.
- Masala Chai - Tea with tea masala / Elaichi Tea at shops served in steel glasses with a steel bowl (dabra as referred by South Indians).
- Special Chai - Boiled with lot of milk (50% or more) at restaurants to say we want good tea.
- Irani Tea - A speciality at all Irani restaurants. relished with Bun-Maska (butter) or Brun-Maska.
- Kadak Chai - Strong Tea, could be the tea type or boiled a lot (Not my Cup-Of-Tea)
- Black Tea - Assam Chai brewed and served with a small spoon of sugar mixed in it.
- Lemon Tea - Black Tea with a lime
- Ginger Lemon Tea - Ginger boiled in water, and tea brewed in the ginger water and served with sugar.
- Ginger Tea with or without Mint and Lemongrass
- Mint and/or Lemongrass Tea (without lime) maybe with Ginger.
- Honey and Lemon Tea
- Rose Tea
- Brewed tea
- Green Tea - journey begun with Darjeeling Tea Bags.
- Darjeeling Tea - With it's exquisite flavor
- Darjeeling White Tea - Mild Delicate and smooth
- Earl Grey Tea - Bergamot flavored, I enjoyed it first and had it so much that now i have lost taste for it.
- Chamomile Tea
- Tilk - Mild tea with generous portion of milk in it and sugar to taste.
- Lal Cha - The Meghalaya tea without milk. Sugar to flavor.
- Lebu Cha - this is a patent of West Bengal. Available on the bank of river Hooghly next to Howrah station or IN any local trains. This Lime tea with some masala added to it. I have tried my variation of ginger, jeera, rock salt to make it. turned out pretty good.
- Orange flavored Tea
- Tulsi (and Ginger) Tea
- Chinese Jasmine Green Tea Pot
- Sulaimani Chai - To clear the gullet of the Oil after having Hyderabadi Biryani, Lemon tea with a few masala (elaichi or elaichi, cardamon, cinnamon, cloves)
- Kashmiri Kahwa - This one is heaven. Saffron flavored tea with cinnamon and almonds and pistas added to it.
- Kashmiri Pink Noon Chai - This is Kashmiri tea made in milk which looks pink and served with salt.
- Iced Tea - Lemon, Peach, Kiwi, Strawberry flavored
- Cinnamon Tea
- English Breakfast Tea
And even after this, there is a lot i have yet to explore in the tea world.
Tea is not just a part of daily routine for many, it is also a matter of lifestyle, staus, Social mannerisms and etiquettes. The crockeries involved and dressing is in itself a matter of pure aesthetic flavoring. One could be indulgent or frugal.
- Bed Tea
- Newspaper reading with Tea
- Blogging on the Laptop - Tea :)
- Tea Parties. A do with a spread of muffins, tarts, cookies and other tea cakes.
- Tea and Conversation
- Tea for relaxation
- Tea to Pep up the sagging spirit and stay awake
- Dating over Tea
- Having business meeting with Tea alongside
- Business Conferences with Tea Breaks
- Cafetaria Tea Breaks
- Aam Aadmi Tea Breaks at roadside stalls/tapri's in Mumbai
- Taking Tea Breaks on a roadside during long drives.
- Sipping Tea with snacks to munch on, while watching the rain
- Sipping on Hot Tea in Winter
- Japanese Tea Ceremony (This is not my experience yet)
- Chinese Tea Crockeries and chooice of flavors
- Tea for Health and Weight Loss
- Irani and Mid-eastern Tea paraphernalia's that are piece of art
- Choice of Tea Types - Assam being regular
- Darjeeling falling in the higher claas
- Oolong High Tea from Taiwan is a statemnt of good taste
- Rungamutte- Dooars and Terai Teas are medium range
- The other hill states like Meghalaya also are not very popular but have great flavor.
- Sri Lanka / Ceylon Tea is also very popular.
The way one can discern a tea drinker from an enthusiast is probably by observing if one is drinking tea, having it or sipping on it.
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