November 4, 2010

In search of that perfect brew!

I am a self confessed chai lover. Somehow, coffee has never been my thing. As a result, I have found it difficult to participate in conversations where coffee, its kinds, addiction are all discussed. Cafe visits invariably result in selection of some chocolate based beverage that simply adds to the calorie count of the day!
During the four years at college, I have seen people catch up over chota tea at the milk parlor. I don't think i have heard of chota coffee :P. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against coffee. Just haven't acquired the taste to appreciate it. Also, why should a lot only happen over a cup of coffee? Why not over a cup of tea? I am sure there are friendships, relationships that have been cemented over long drawn discussions over tea. I am also secretly hoping to find someone who is a chai ka shaukeen, who can appreciate a cup of well made ginger tea and sit and talk nineteen to the dozen with me over chai!

So well, now, the purpose of this post.
1. Been ages since i wrote something!
2. For lack of a better topic to write about.
3. Festive season. Am at home for a week. Have been making tea for myself at 10 am and 3 pm everyday- the time at which i have a break in the office! Pity is, there is no actual tea there. Only the tea bags which is not the real stuff. Have to travel three floors to get to the cafeteria for a nice cup of ginger tea. But he makes it very sweet! And drinking tea all by oneself is also not fun. So i resort to drinking boost when in office! Now you know the secret of my energy :P
4. I really want to know how many people i know out there consume tea, know to make a cup of tea and how they make it!

Here is my method. To make two cups of tea( Tea always turns out better when i make two cups!)


I boil a glass of water. Add to it two teaspoons( again, ever heard of coffee spoon?) of tea power ( i use a mix of taj mahal and red label natural care). Some crushed ginger and peppercorns. Allow it to boil. Simmer and add a glass of milk. Let the tea brew and then strain it into cups and add sugar to taste. I prefer one spoon a cup.
Then sit back, munch into some biscuits, unwind with a book and the cup of chai in hand. I am currently reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love- how she discovered life through her travels. Isnt that what everybody wants to do in life!!!


Coming back to tea, I am sure there are other things that can be added to it apart from the obvious ginger and pepper to spice it up- honey, cinnamon, cardamom and clove. Anything else you can think of?
There are other methods of making tea too- adding all ingredients at once and let them all boil together or make a decoction separately and adding milk to it. Do you make it any differently? And which brand of tea powder do you think is the best?
Do you even drink tea at all or have you all shifted inclination towards coffee? Let me know!
I'd be glad to try making my tea in different ways and discover the best way to make tea.
I also have a variety of flavors of green/black tea that i advocate to people- jasmine, peach, cherry, citrus. Will write about them some other time! Currently i am in the drinking a kadak cup of adrak ki chai phase as i usher in the festival! Happy Diwali!

20 comments:

  1. Hey that was a nice post after a long time! :) Well I personally never made tea so I don't know how good I am at it! But you bought some from that trip that we all went to right? How was it? Was it any different from the brands that we get in cities??

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  2. "a lot only happen over a cup of coffee ? Why not over a cup of tea?" - Yeah..why not? How about starting a new joint venture called CAFE-TEA-TIME for all those not-so-happening-types-till-now-Tea-Premis?

    & talking abt making & savoring tea - "We are the Coffee Boys". I am a total illiterate when it comes to Chai:(

    Happy Diwali btw:)

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  3. Looks like coffee is leading over tea as of now!
    @Mahit

    The tea from Kemmangundi was not very great!

    @Bharat
    A tea joint sounds like a fab idea! Cutting chai, biscuits and hot snacks along with all possible experimentation with flavors in tea! I'd ditch my job and start it any day! Finance? :P

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  4. firstly, a nice post..
    I prepare tea by putting all the ingredients together.. one of the way u ve mentioned..
    i broke away from my regular drinking of milk to her beverages with tea, only cos i felt it could reduce my sleep and increase my study hours.. (during my pu days)
    I love the way my mom prepares the tea.. its glorified by addition of ginger..
    but now am beginning to get taste of coffee. But i like tea more than coffee..
    Btw i would suggest u to try out tea powder from Coffee day outlets.. Grap a packet of Tea day which come in two forms, strong and other one i don't remember.. the tea from that is really good..
    I ve heard from many of them that, there used to be an old man near city railway station, who used to prepare one of the best tea in the city, but now he is not seen there as the building ve been demolished.
    i haven't tasted different varieties,so keenly waiting for those reviews and methods of preparation it....
    Btw Happy Diwali

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  5. Prathap,

    One person at least in the tea drinking party! Super!
    And Tea day ka tea powder is it? Will surely try it after my current batch of tea is over.
    Happy Diwali to you too!

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  6. Ya ya.. its really good.. thats the one am using.. DOn't worry we shall open an pro tea community or page on face book..so that we can find more people.. :D

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  7. I've never made tea, but picked up Tea over Coffee as my preferred beverage once i started working. Until then, i thrived on milk. Still prefer a cuppa horlicks over tea though. But i had been to an interesting place called 'Infinitea' in Cunningham road. I think you mightve already been there. I'm amazed how much lesser tea shops exist in comparison to coffee shops.

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  8. Anusha,
    :) Infinitea is on my list of "eat-out to visit". Everytime i pass through Cunningham road i tell myself, next time! The muhurtha hasn't come for it yet!
    So you get actual brewed tea at work? Or tea bags?

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  9. @quirky girl : I have drank the ginger tea twice or thrice,but have always found it strong in our cafeteria! Btw nice post.Maybe you can do something for Tea what CCD did for coffee!

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  10. Vijeth,

    Oh! So you have tried the ginger tea? Well, its meant to be strong only! Amazing for this kind of weather.
    About the tea joint, I already mentioned above, Finance is an issue. Also looks like there aren't too many takers for tea!! ;)
    But yes, a venture like that will be fulfilling and challenging too!

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  11. Well, my workplace is not very employee friendly.... we dont get free tea/coffee. We either have to take em out of the Lavazza vending machines ( whatever concoction comes out of that dabba, it sucks big time man!! ), or we have to buy it from the Chaiwala. The Chaiwala's chai is super though.. :)

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  12. You still havent gone to 'Infintea'???
    Girl, if you are a tea fan, you simply HAVE to go there. The ambiance is very good, and they have lovely photographs adorning the wall. Its more of an experience, rather than just an eat-out. Do try out their pastas, its the best one i've had so far !! :)

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  13. Btw, i love the adrak ki chai. Its me fav :)

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  14. Yepp! Have seen the place. I regularly pass by Cunningham Road. So well, yes. The place looks real good. And Pasta is great huh? Another among my favorite dishes in this world!;)
    So looks like i should head there soon as i find the time! And i shall put up a review here too :)

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  15. Will wait for it. :)
    Maybe you can call it- 'To Infinitea and beyond.....' ;)

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  16. nice post! am not much of a fan of tea or experimenting, but i totally love the ice tea at McD!! i've found it to be the only one of its kind i could gulp down anytime! also, i have to mention the weird kind of lemon tea which my teammate prepares from the stuff kept at office. it tastes pretty good sometimes!! i suppose people get creative when resources are limited ;)

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  17. Looks like there s someone who has put up the thought i usually discuss with people.
    The secret recipe for tea according to me is to first get the water to almost boil , put the magic tea leaves from kodai or ooty (the ones sold in a transparent packet) and close the container with a lid for 8 minutes .
    Do not boil the tea after the rest stroke :D add bit of dabur honey and you are all set for a brilliant unburnt tea .
    For people who cant get kodai tea , i prefer twinings tea .
    adding all the extra garam to the tea is when i have cold or cough .

    Infinitea is the place that even i have on the list , probably @aparna we could catch up when i get to blore next time :d

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  18. @Divya,

    Yepp. The lemon tea in the office is a welcome change sometimes after drinking bournvita for long. Ice Tea at McD can get too sweet for me sometimes! Well, knowing you, nothing must be too sweet for you ;)

    @Sriram,

    I make my black tea like that. With twinings or lipton clear green tea leaves. And honey does add a zing to it!
    About Infinitea, i already have company, thanks! Am visiting the place soon!

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  19. Hey this was a nice one... :) it had gone unnoticed somehow, could have missed a good one...

    And , once i had prepared a cup of tea with coffee powder!! Yeah, it had both coffee n tea powders, but it tasted utterly bitter.. :P Couldn't even drink :P

    So then on, i again oriented towards coffee.. After all, i'm from d land of coffee na.. :)

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  20. oh my goodness! tea and coffee powder together! i can not even get myself to imagine it! you better stick to coffee then!

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