Things you Didn’t know about Chai
Chai is a popular beverage all around the world. It is made from fresh chai leaves and a base of hot water or milk. To the people of India, a cup of chai is so much more than what it appears: it is a lifestyle!
Let us know some more facts about chai.
Firstly, what is Chai? Well, it is a Hindi word for Tea. Funnily, it is often called ‘Chai Tea’ by many people.
The story of chai
Thousands of years back, Buddhist monks in India had used tea for its medicinal purposes. There’s a very alluring story to demonstrate this. A Buddhist monk, who later became the founder of Zen Buddhism, decided to spend seven sleepless years contemplating the life and teachings of Buddha. In his fifth year of contemplation, he felt like sleeping. He then took some leaves from a bush and started chewing them. These leaves revived him and enabled him to stay awake. So, whenever he felt like sleeping he repeated the same process. In this way, he was able to complete his penance for seven years. Amazingly, it was nothing but the leaves of the wild tea plant.
Chai Business
Despite its existence for such a long time, tea started to be used commercially in India only recently in the 1800s. It flourished in China and was brought back to the Indian subcontinent by the British. The latter acquired the habit of drinking tea from Dutch merchants in 1610, who brought the distinct shipments to Europe from Japan.
The rich’s drink
In its early days of being in business, it was costly. Because of its price, it was only made available to the upper class. By the mid-19th century, daily tea drinking was an insatiable habit for wealthy aristocrats and officials.
Leaving behind the founders
Despite the monopolization and colonization of the beverage by the British, the most authentic cup of tea is still found in dhabbas, small stalls and the regular Indian domestic kitchens. Some Indians even drink at least four cups of chai every day.
Chai is preferred at breakfast and during the evening supper time, with traditional snacks such as samosas, biscuits and pakoras. Chai, in its essence, is indeed a lifestyle!
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