Chai (Indian tea)

This is how the day starts here.. with a cup of tea. Ek pyaali chai ki. :)
The first sip someone will look forward to early in the morning.
Most of the times, there are no fixed timings for it. The intake can reach up to 5-10-15 cups or glasses a day. Be it a single family or a joint family, all of the family members get a chance to sit together and chit-chat and lead to different kinds of discussion. This is fun and the bond of the relationship gets stronger everyday. Tea becomes an excuse to keep everyone together.

And now, if we talk about its importance in terms of revenue, India produces some of the best tea in the world and 4% of the National income of India comes from tea.

Major kinds of tea that comes from India is Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri tea and yes, Orissa tea is also known for its taste.

'Chai' is the basic term used for tea here in India. 'Chai' is a hindi word of tea. In hindi, its चाय.

Though there are different styles to prepare chai and is prepared with different flavors which is actually very strong. And the basic ingredients are black tea, milk, water, sugar and spices. And the spices which are majorly used in it is, cloves, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and pepper. No doubt, 'The Chai' tastes so wonderful. :)

Traditionally, Kulhar ki chai (Tea in small pots) and Chai ki pyaali (Chai in a glass) are two different styles to serve tea in India.

Kulhar ki chai

Chai ki pyaali

In South India, the tea is generally served in a steel glass, in a steel bowl.

In winters, Chai and pakodas are favorite.

Below is an image of a kettle. A Chai wallah's kettle or a tea maker's kettle. 

There are many other styles to prepare and serve Chai in India. The list is too long. Better visit India and spent some time here and you will get to know the varieties of Indian tea. :)

By any chance, if you are invited to an Indian house, that means you will not only get a chance to have tea, along with that you will also be served snacks which will be mouth watering. Don't forget, Indians are well know for their hospitality. :)