As is the tradition with most other Indians, I start my day with a cup of chai quite inappropriately, while my family sleeps. Black tea that has been freshly brewed in milk and served with sugar, ginger, and cardamom, that is how I begin my day. The warmth that overflows in my belly as I take my first sip of it reminds me of all that is close to my heart – home, childhood memories, family. But few of us know the rich history that is poured into the cup of tea that we so easily embrace.
Chai is not merely a spiced tea, but it is a central Indian tradition that many Indians hold dear. It is one of the first things an Indian child grows up listening to. The term chai is a Hindi word for “tea” in English. But anywhere, when people refer to chai, they are referring to five-star chai or masala chai—an evolved mixture of black tea, milk, sugar, and cardamom, ginger, or cinnamon-scented warming spices.
Masala chai or spice tea is over 5,000 years old, originating from ancient India. Extremely fascinating is the fact that the original masala chai had no tea leaves at all but was an Ayurvedic herbal tea made of medicated spices mixed together for easier digestion and well-being. Spices were blended with no caffeine and were intended to cure many diseases with a pinch of magic and mysticism.
One of the most enduring legends is that it was created in a royal Indian palace, where a king requested a medicinal potion to heal his ailments. Ayurvedic adepts concocted a blend of spices—ginger for digestion, cardamom for mood, cloves for pain, and cinnamon for heat. The beverage was so tasty, aromatic, and curative that it became a palace favorite—and later, nationwide. Ironically, tea leaves had nothing to do with this chai progenitor at the time.
The advent of tea leaves to chai history occurred much later, in the 1800s, during the rule of the British colonial government. Though Camellia Sinensis, the tea bush, was present in Assam (a northeastern state), tea drinking was not yet popular until the British started tea plantations. The British East India Company promoted the intake of tea in India by introducing tea breaks in industries and offices as a means of countering the Chinese monopoly of tea.
But Indians give it their own touch—literally and culturally. They began to add milk and indigenous spices to the tea to create the drink masala chai familiar to us today. It was rapidly popularized and spread far and wide throughout the country’s numerous nooks and corners to become the embodiment of hospitality and warmth. Street vendors called chai-walas (tea vendors) were also crucial to delivering it to multitudes on congested streets and railway stations.
Today, chai is a worldwide phenomenon and is enjoyed all over the globe. From the streets of Mumbai to coffee shops in New York, it keeps on changing, and “chai latte” is at some international franchise food outlets. Globalization has spread to all parts of the world, but chai for Indians remains an emotion associated with their daily life, genuine conversations, and feeling of home.
Whether it’s early morning or late-night conversations, chai has become a constant companion to endless chats. In India, we even have a phrase for it— “Chai Pe Charcha” —which means “discussion over tea.” From politics to personal anecdotes, life’s most meaningful conversations often start with, “Let’s have chai first.”