 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Chai (pronounced with a chocolaty ‘ch’ and
rhyming with ‘sky’) derives from the Chinese word for tea “cha” and is a
generic word for “tea” in many parts of the world. “Chai” is an abbreviation
of “Masala Chai” (“Masala,” meaning a mixture of spices, and “Chai,” meaning
a milky, sweetened, tea) which has been created after its counterparts in
India, Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet.
Chai’s history is over 5000 years old, with its creators enjoying it both
hot and cold. Legend has it that chai was invented by a royal king in the
ancient courts of India & Siam who protected the recipe as one of his
treasures. However, its roots can be traced unmistakably to the Hindu
natural healing system called “ayurveda” in which combinations of spices,
herbs and sweeteners are used to cure bodily ailments. The original recipe
was created out of the need for a remedy to combat minor discomforts for
those without easy access to medical care. As such, chai became available to
the general populace who drank the tea daily for its cleansing and
regenerative qualities.
Since its beginning, chai recipes have varied, and today, they differ by
region, neighborhood and even by household. Recipes are handed down from
generation to generation, so that having a cup of chai does not simply mean
enjoying a relaxing beverage, but also experiencing a family tradition.
Simply said, (masala) chai is a combination of spices which are ground and
boiled; then tea is added to the mixture to steep. The mixture is strained
and then mixed with milk and sweetened with sugar or honey. Recipes may
differ but there are some essentials: Traditional masala chai is a mix of
sweet and savoury spices such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom (which is a base
spice in almost any masala chai), peppercorn and ginger, which are ground
and boiled in water. Black tea is added to the spice mixture, strained, then
combined with cow, goat or buffalo milk and sweetened with sugar or honey. A
sweetener is necessary in masala chai to bring out the robust flavours of
the spices.
In India, masala chai is prepared at home but is also available wherever
people gather such as on trains, at bus stations and in marketplaces. In
fact, chai is such an important part of India's social customs that they
have their own baristas attending to the brew of the drink (and a bit of
local gossip). They are called ‘Chai-wallahs’. The wallahs serve the chai in
low-fired, unglazed clay cups called “chullarhs” that they make on open
fires. After finishing, the cup is broken on the ground symbolizing, some
say, the return of the cup to the earth it came from just hours before. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Welcome to Seattle Chai
|
|
