Ek Cup Chai Ho Jaye ? (Last Part) - By Arnab

Having lived in the tea capital of India, it has been a nice transition to the coffee capital of the United states. While coffee is delicious and has it’s obvious merits, I’m going to make a case for tea over coffee. A typical cup of tea has 3 times less caffeine than coffee. There is a myth that tea contains more caffeine than coffee which is only true in their dry form. When brewed however, 5 times more coffee is used than tea which causes the caffeine level brewed coffee to be higher than tea.

Besides caffeine, tea also contains L-theanine an amino acid that promotes relaxation and reduces stress. High amount of antioxidants in tea causes slower caffeine absorption in human body. Together a drink of tea does not cause the caffeine shock sometimes experienced by coffee drinkers. Many people find they can even have it in the evening without disturbing sleep.

Throughout India chai is served on the street and on public transportation by tea vendors or “chai wallahs”. There are tea stalls in almost every traditional neighborhood of India. Chai is also served at home during breakfast and throughout the day. It is served to guests as a welcome drink with other savoury and sweet snacks.

Traditionally the tea stalls in India used to serve tea in “khullad” (pronounced “cooler”) a baked clay cup which adds an odor of clay that brings an earthy flavor to the chai. Besides adding the additional flavor, these cups are completely biodegradable and can be reused a few times if desired. The advent of cheap plastic and glass alternatives and the fragile nature of these cups is leading to a decline in their use. In fact Kolkata is the only city you’ll see khullads in regular use.