Ek glass chai hojaye

The ‘cuppa’ is a mystery with mystic effects. More often than not it is the cup of tea that cheers. The origin of tea goes back to many centuries ago, probably even beyond BC……Anyway that is not pertinent to the point. Chai has become something more than a cup of brew. In many countries like China and Japan it is the official drink ceremonially served to guests of prominence and others too. In those ceremonies the server and serving are important with the former going through her paces elegantly on which deals are made or unmade. But the humble chai usually served in glasses of varying sizes is sought after dearly. It is a drink for every occasion. On waking up or on retiring to bed – be it day or night. It is imbibed for vigour at work or just to relax at times.

For the more affluent it is do chhhaiyyyeeeee…. For others it is ek one by two or if you are in Chennai it is one cutting. Both meaning the same to say the order is for one tea in two portions to be shared by friends. Enemies do not drink tea together…they may share a tot or any other brew but will never share a cup of tea – that is the law of nature. It is always tea break except in the middle of cricket matches…where again I suspect cold lemon tea is the preferred drink by many players these days.

The best ever tea one can get is in the wayside tea stalls especially in Kerala. The tea in these shacks is made in a singularly unique way. The water is constantly on the boil in a copper drum with a narrow opening on the top and a tap at the bottom. Tea dust (not leaves) in a loose strainer is placed on the opening at the top so that the tea dust is kept warm and humid by the vapours rising from the boiling water. When the call for oru chhhaaaayyyyeeee is made, the brewer picks up a five inch tall glass pours an ounce of hot milk (also kept warm) into it and adds a spoon of sugar. Into a steel mug of a litre capacity goes some hot water through the tap in the drum. Deftly holding the mug in the right hand, the magician picks up the strainer with the tea dust with the left, holding it above the glass pours boiling water into it, pours back the excess water from the mug back into the drum through the opening at the top, then returns the strainer to its place, keeps the empty mug aside, all in one deft move and announces cahya reddie. No spoons, no stirring, no snouts, no cozy but the result is a divine brew.

It has been ordained in the ancient scriptures that a Malayalee serve this divine brew even in places where man (or woman) has not set foot…. So the story goes……