Indian tea

Chai

Tea is the most favourite drink of the people allover the world. Tea is made using the tender leaves and buds of the tea plant, scientifically known as Camellia sinensis. Tea is a native of China and was introduced in India by the British during their colonialism. There are different varieties of tea in different parts of the world. The main varieties being the green tea and the black tea. The Indian tea-chai is type of black tea which has milk added to it.

At first, China was the only source for tea, as they were reluctant to share the secrets of propagation of tea plant and the process involved in making tea. But the British smuggled the seeds of tea plant to India during eighteenth century. The East India Company discovered India’s potential of growing tea plant, as the climatic conditions were excellent for growing tea. In India, tea is grown in different places like Darjeeling, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Assam is the biggest producer of tea in India. Darjeeling tea is famous for its quality and taste. Darjeeling is the important producer of green tea in the world. India exports different types of tea to various other countries in the world.

India has age old traditions, customs and systems for health improvement. India has its own set of teas which are used by people in the different parts of the country.  “Chai”is the common word in Hindi language for tea. The day of an Indian starts with a cup of tea and the newspaper. It is very easy to make chai or tea, one has to boil pure water and powdered tea leaves are added to it. This mixture is allowed to simmer for three to five minutes to get a dark red concoction, to which milk and sugar is added. The red concoction in diluted form is known as black tea and is consumed as such in India.

Another method of making chai is boiling equal quantities of water and milk with tea powder and then adding the sugar. The taste of the prepared tea differs according to the method used and the quantity of milk added to the decoction. The chai or tea has a distinct aroma, strong colour and flavor. The Indian tea or chai blends tea and milk in an extraordinary way to please the drinker.

A person who tastes it for the first time will definitely ask for one more cup of chai.  Milk gives the rich creamy texture to the tea. Chai can be made using either dust tea or the granular tea. The powdered tea is commonly called as dust tea and the granular tea is known as leafy tea. Leafy tea is more expensive, as the taste and flavor is more compared to dust tea, but both are extensively in use in India Chai or the Indian tea comes in different flavors also. A masala tea has different spices added to it.

Ginger tea, which is a winter favourite, is made by adding a small piece of powdered or grated ginger to the water while boiling it. Cardamom tea which is a favourite has one or two cardamoms added to the water while making the decoction.

Cardamom imparts an inviting aroma to the tea.Chai flavored with fennel seeds makes an aromatic tea ideal for warm days of the year.Tulsi or the holy basil and mint considered to have medicinal properties and are used in preparing chai when one is having common cold or cough or some stomach problems. Cinnamon is another spice used by Indian to make the masala tea or the spiced tea.

Many people usually use a blend of various spices, as most of the spices have health benefits. The most widely used blend contains at least five spices in equal quantities; they are cardamom, fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns. This masala is very strong that you only have to add a pinch of it to make your tea spicy. Another famous tea in India is the Suleimani chai, which is consumed after a heavy oily meal like ‘biryani’ to digest the meal. Suleimani chai is prepared by boiling water with dust tea and adding one or two teaspoons of lime juice and sugar to it. It is believed that lime can break down fat in the food and also help in easy digestion.

Chai drinking is addictive as it provides rejuvenation and relaxation every time you have a cup of tea. Apart from chai having antioxidation properties, it only contains one third of the caffeine found in coffee. Chai is often considered to be a refreshing beverage all over India for its sweet aroma and wide varieties with different flavors. Apart from the taste and the flavor, consumption of tea or chai has health benefits also. Ordinary Chai or black tea helps to reduce blood glucose and blood pressure levels.

The popularity of chai or Indian tea is steadily growing in the present decade and is now available in Western countries as pre prepared chai or ready to use chai. All you have to do is to get the packet of pre prepared chai from the grocer, prepare it according to the directions given, and in a space of two minutes you can enjoy the refreshing taste of the chai.