Chai from the ‘Chawala’

Posted by Bikram Paul on July 15th, 2021

‘Chai’, as we know and call tea in India, is an intrinsic part of our everyday life. Chai is the best way of bonding between friends, people become chai buddies in the neighborhood chai stalls. Realizing the bond between ‘chai’ and cozy chats or ‘adda’, the Oxford Book Store in Kolkata decided to have a ‘cha bar ‘, such is the magic of tea. And when we broach on tea in neighborhood stalls, the tea is mostly defined by the strong and thickly flavored CTC tea with milk or lemon and sugar. Though owing to the covid pandemic the neighborhood shops are lying empty with none to sit on the benches. The Sunday afternoon spent on endless cups of tea, discussing everything from football to politics. The omnipresent existence of tea still casts its dominant spell on households.  

How is it prepared?

A combination of hot milk and water boiled to make it thick and creamy with ingredients adding to indulgence and flavors like ginger, cinnamon, clove, flannel, nutmeg, black pepper and cardamom. Some love the masala chai accompanied with a bowlful of pakora. Not just limited to Sunday evenings, this pure pleasure is served delightfully daily, in many households.  The CTC leaves embrace the best flavors to exude its spell on tea lovers with a combination of spices or masala. Inspired by the love for masala chai, CTC manufacturers have eased the process by manufacturing masala chai that encompasses all the flavors that you add out of love. But some like to do it their way, freshly prepared at home. Their stone and pestle crush the spices with soft blows, and you add them to the rippling CTC boiling bubbling in the pan. A gentle stir with a ladle mixes the crushed spices spreading the enchanting aroma all over the house. When the blend is just right, pour the tea in your favorite China or tall and fat-bellied mugs that allow the foam to bubble at the brim. What a mesmerizing cup this CTC blend makes, but you still miss the local chai shops tea. 

What is CTC Tea?

The crush, tear and curl is a process that is used as the leaves are treated in cylinder rollers to make an even cut tea pallet. The malty flavor of the Assam tea preserves its much loved strong and rich taste that enhances with a combination of milk. The Assam CTC tea is the most popular, but other parts of India like the Terai, Dooars and regions in South India like Munnar are also growers of this rich blend. 

An intense sorting process defines the tea quality. Tea lovers validate that this cup of life presents many health benefits. Arguing that it is loaded with antioxidants, allowing weight loss, a blood pressure check, without milk it controls better cardiovascular health, is a natural cure for stress and headache, aiding digestion, medicinal cure for bad stomach cramps, the list is endless. Premium companies are selling CTC tea online. Order and sip the most invigorating experience of tea drinking.