![]() ![]() Yes, of course, it tastes of all the familiar flavours-milk, tea leaves and sugar. There is chai in sidewalk stalls and bookstands, in bus stops and overnight trains, in cafés and in malls, in hotels and in airports, think of a place, and you will find it there. I possibly might have had my first sip earlier than I care to admit, but that day was the dawn of the liquid to run through my veins, over which I’d shared stories, laughter and untold adventures. Who knew something as simple as a cup of chai would sew so much together? I don’t know whether it was because I always saw him with a chai cup or because he was such a devoted tea lover for longer than I can remember, he always smelt like tea to me. Up until I’d tasted tea for the first time that day, I always associated tea with my Appa. The aroma of that tea reminded me of kisses from Appa. “ B, let me taste this, I’ve never tried tea before“. It took one sip before B looked like he was relaxed for the rest of his life. I watched B pay quickly as he yearningly took the cup from the counter. In seconds, the guy whisked a paper cup and filled it with hot steaming tea off of a silver coloured steel flask. “ Sir, ond double tea please“, my newly formed friend B at college said to our college canteen guy. The elixir of life, the conversational beverage, the warmth of acceptance and understanding, and the drink of character - a cup of chai is the cup of life. Even now, somedays coffee really is the only thing that can pick-me-up, perk me and keep me fuelled for a long day.īut tea, oh tea. But today, the same liking has turned into a need for its caffeine kicks. Not going to lie, I definitely do enjoy a nice cup of aromatic brewed coffee, considering my liking for it extends far back to when I was a kid and would sneak a sip off of my Amma’s every now and then. So much so that if I were to wake Appa up in the middle of the night for a cup of chai, he would not refuse! As far as I am concerned, I grew up presuming to be a coffee person, but ended up falling in love with chai with the first sip. And as much as it seems like an interesting tradition to pass onto me, my father, his mother, and her father have been passionate tea enthusiasts. For them, having a cup of coffee is as important as brushing their teeth - a part of their daily routine. My mother, my grandmother, and her mother have been ardent filter coffee lovers. However, when I think of it today, I cannot quite point out whether I liked the notion of me having coffee, or whether I just preferred to the fact that I was not actually drinking plain milk. ![]() As much as I’d like to say that I enjoyed a steel cup of sugar infused milk, I dreaded having to drink it everyday, and twice! However, for longer than I can remember, Amma would make me a cup of light coffee every other day to ensure that my daily quota of milk went inside my throat whilst I enjoyed the concept of it. If you are as obsessed with chai as I am, you will understand when I say that a cup of chai is a cup of peace. Chai.Ĭhai is more than just a cup of tea, it is, for me, a sentiment. Headaches? Tired? Love? Guests? Need a reason to live? I have a solution to all kinds of problems. ![]()
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