Chai, Chai, Special Chai: Thoughts on Tea
My preferred morning beverage these days is Jasmine Tea with lemon and a spoon-full of sugar. It’s my Dad’s fault. It’s his latest obsession in hot beverages. I like coffee, but in the morning I find that it is too harsh on my stomach. I like milk-tea but in Delhi milk in the morning gets suck in my throat and I am concerned that I might end up doing that morning gag heard so commonly in the streets of Delhi. So, green jasmine tea it is, nimbu aur chinni ka sath around 8 in the morning.
On a perfect winter day, someone would make me “chai, chai, special chai” around 10 or 11 in the morning. No one can make this quite like the chai-wallah at an Indian train station. Starbucks has tried, but fallen short. This is black Indian tea (more than likely Red Label), boiled with milk, sugar, and cardamom or ginger.
Then around 4 in th
e afternoon it depends on my mood: coffee, cappuccino , Coca-cola, simple milk tea, jasmine tea, on Fridays–red wine.
But back to tea. I recently got to spend a few days at a tea plantation in Sri Lanka. It was beautiful–amazing. And, I learned a few things. Did you know that all tea is made from the same type of bush–Camellia Sinensis? The varieties have to do with where the tea is grown (elevation and soil) and the way in which the leaves or buds are processed. White tea, green tea, and black tea are all from Camillia Sinensis. Green tea is simply tea leaves dried. White tea is made from the tea buds. And, black tea is made from oxidized tea leaves. F.Y.I. I almost never use tea bags anymore–loose leaf it is…
Becca said,
January 28, 2009 at 5:45 am
I am impressed by your daily caffeine intake! This old lady can’t take it anymore. I have my 2-3 cups of coffee first thing in the morning, and then I am done for the day. Otherwise I won’t sleep at night.
I had a very American chai this afternoon… which might explain why I am awake right now!
Miss you, friend!
Lindsey Goodwin said,
February 11, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Oh, how I miss the chai-wallahs of India! Their chai is so rich that just the tiniest cup is plenty.
Glad you learned so much about tea in Sri Lanka, and that you changed over to loose leaf! Noticed the jasmine in your photo — my friend Evan drinks the same kind.
Becca — I have a recipe for “Very American Chai” on my website here. It’s copied below. Enjoy!
Very American Chai
Strong, sugary, and indulgent — it’s the American way.
4 whole cloves
8 cardamom pods, crushed and lightly roasted
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon dark cocoa powder
2 cup milk^
2 cups water^
6 teaspoons white sugar^
2 tablespoons black tea
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, added at the last minute
1 teaspoon orange zest, added at the last minute
^Alternately, you can use 1 cup sweetened condensed milk, 3 cups water, and no sugar.