Masala Chai – The Secret National Drink. In India it is said that the scent of freshly brewed Masala Chai can instantly evoke a feeling of home.
The scent takes me back to the streets of Mumbai. In that hustle and bustle, Masala Chai is the break-button: a slightly sharp, sweetened black tea stretched with a splash of milk, often enjoyed at the roadside. Me too!
Masala is Hindi and refers to the spice mix. Chai literally means nothing other than tea. I am a passionate tea drinker. But while at home I tend to prefer a fine Darjeeling First Flush or a Chinese Oolong from a pre-warmed cup, in India I always gravitate toward the Chai Wallahs, the tea-cooks!
Masala is Hindi and refers to the spice mixture. Chai literally means nothing other than tea.
I usually don’t have to look long. You can spot them by their steaming kettles – and the people crowding around them. The more customers waiting, the more likely it is that the Chai Wallah knows his craft. It’s a ritual, but each time a little different, influenced by origin, tradition or strictly secret family recipes.
The base: crumbled leaves of a black tea. The aroma comes from the spice blend, usually consisting of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and mace (nutmeg blossom). Then a splash of water-buffalo milk – a bit richer than our cow’s milk – or cow’s milk, as well as sugar.
All this is boiled at high temperature, while the Chai Wallah stirs vigorously. The waiting customers must usually be patient for about ten minutes. But then it goes fast: The tea-cook pours the steaming chai through a cloth and fills it into a kettle. Now it is served!
On the street, Masala Chai is preferably drunk from small glasses. From their stalls the Chai Wallahs also supply the shops in the neighbourhood. If a customer enters a shop, perhaps looking for fabrics or saris, they are immediately invited to a glass – a symbol of hospitality!
For 3000 years spices and herbs have been boiled in water in Ayurveda, the Indian medicine-system. However, tea was only brought into the country by the colonial power Great Britain.
For 3000 years spices and herbs have been boiled in water in Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine. However, tea was only brought into the country by the colonial power Britain. To make the bitter drink palatable for the oppressed population, they began to spice it. In the meantime, Masala Chai has become the secret national drink. In the North, by the way, handleless clay cups have become established for it!
At home, however, chai is also gladly slurped from the saucer with enjoyment. In this way the hot tea cools faster to the perfect drinking temperature!
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Helmut Haase
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