Thursday, July 11, 2013

My Chai story [UBC Post 11]

People who know me are aware about my obsession for tea. I can have tea, anytime, anywhere, any number of times. I don’t really remember when and how this became an obsession but I do remember that it was quite early.

My earliest memory is that I was not allowed to have tea, since I was quite young. I was told I would be allowed only when I was older. Moreover, my mother would preach me that tea would make my complexion darker. So, the more I was dissuaded from having tea, the more fascinating it became for me.

When I was in school (during teenage), I would grab every opportunity to sneak in tea for myself. So, when guests (read uncles and aunties of neighbourhood) would be visiting, I would offer to make tea. While my mom-dad would be busy chatting with them, I would make some for myself too, and gulp it all down before anybody wondered where I was!

In small places, people have very few means of entertainment. Perhaps that is the reason there were so many gate meetings, to exchange gossip. ‘Gate meeting’ is the term I am using for the talkathons between ladies residing in nearby houses, standing near or by the gates. It could stretch for hours too depending on the volume of gossip or idle talks which needed to be shared alongwith pending household chores. In those days, women also had the endearing habit of showing every single thing they shopped for (like sarees, bangles, shawls, dresses, utensils, some new home accessory or some fancy gadget etc) to each other. OK, I confess, I do that with my friends too :-) (What’s the fun if you can’t show off and get some approving or envious glances ha ha then only it is paisa vasool). So, the point is I would have enough time to make a glassful of nice tea and enjoy myself during that time. I would remove all evidence of my tea indulgence after that.

Even now, when I have tea in front of my mother at odd hours, I half expect her to stop me and give me a long lecture on ill effects of drinking too much tea. But now she does not say anything. I feel almost adventurous having mugfuls of tea in front of her.

While I was pregnant, I used to feel nauseous all the time. I would not be able to tolerate tea as well, then I shifted to green tea for a while. But I have never really liked green tea. Sometimes I have it when I feel I am having too much tea. In every party, at home or outside, I ask for tea and if I don't get it, I go for iced tea.  

Even as I am writing this, I am sipping ginger tea. I also make masala tea with cinnamon -cloves (and add black pepper if one of us has cold or cough). I hate cardamom tea. I like my tea strong so I always get disapproving glances from my mother and mother-in-law for the sheer quantity of tea leaves I add to 1 cup of tea. They feel it can make tea for 4-5 people, and sometimes I agree :-) But what to do I need to have the perfect colour and the perfect aroma for my kind of tea!


So, you have any such obsessive habits? 

11 comments:

  1. I love tea too ... a lot. I started having it while preparing for 10th board exams. Tea with bread was my favourite snack :) Then, during my PhD days,I went through a very long spell of coffee as it is very fashionable for scientists to work at coffee shops :)
    One fine day, I arrived in Pune for a job interview. The cook at the guest house made some Masala Chai for me and since then, I have got hooked to it. I got the job - so, Masala Chai now has very positive connotations for me. I love Pune and I love tea, so much so that I have also named my blog after it :) My domestic help makes a cup for me every evening with ginger and some spices and I just love it.
    One evening, I invited a neighbour to join me. But, this turned out to be a disaster as she only drinks green tea and told me to do the same to lose weight :-(

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    1. I don't consider Green Tea as Tea. I need to have my kadak chai. So, are you in Pune?

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    2. Hi, yes, I am in Pune. Moved here in December 2012. Still can't believe how amazing the weather over here is :)

      I have tried making masala chai myself, but it just doesn't turn out very well. Please do share your recipe some time :)

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  2. I remember the may challenge and tea discussion !
    I am a chai freak too.. cheers frm a chai lover to a chai love :)
    Good one !

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    1. Hi Afshan, thank you so much for taking time to comment here. I am sorry I have not been able to reciprocate because of time crunch. But I am going to drop in for your lovely posts soon.
      Yes, I remember the chai discussion. Ad I have used the same image from May challenge ha ha

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  3. Anonymous4:01 PM

    I m completely opposite to you in ths..I never take tea..i had tea just two time ( one for each delivery) in hospital :-)
    Once we went to our principal's house and his wife offered us tea.i just couldn't say no to her and took the cup. When she was out of sight i poured half cup in my friend's cup who is big tea lover. Other half i out in nearby plant :-)

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    1. Ha ha you naughty girl :-)
      I did not know they give you tea for delivery. I didn't get any :-(
      But you must taste mere haathh ki chai. May be I will convert you.

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  4. I was also told to avoid tea as a kid and for same reasons :D then I developed an allergy to it and gave it up completely!

    lol @ ur kind of defiance by drinking loads of it in front of ur mother. I feel we all have our indulgences and we shud satisfy them!

    Loved this kind of nostalgic post (gate parties?) :D

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    1. Allergic to tea? Pehli baar sun rahi hoon. So, now you love your coffee, don't you? I have coffee when I step out of home because restaurants have very sad tea. The bigger the restaurant, the fancy the tea, but not my type.

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  5. I don't like tea :( .. i love coffee.. and that filter coffee is heavenly.. i can keep sipping it in my large coffee mug.. and also hot choc.. yummy :)

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    Replies
    1. So, there is a group of people who love tea and one who love coffee. I think there are very few people who don't like either of these.

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