What Chai means to Indians? - ChaiBag

What Chai means to Indians?

Indians and Chai

For millions of people in India, chai is simply their ‘comfort drink’. In India, it is a drink that traditionally united people across different races and religions as people often came together to enjoy a cup of chai putting their differences aside.

But coming back to ‘why do people drink so much chai?’ is that at its time of discovery, it was more of a delicacy. Then the British made it a part of their legacy and owing to its easy and cheap cultivation, it became the drink of the masses. This exact situation travelled miles and miles to all parts of the globe and resonated with millions, during the process. 

India - The land of teetotalers

India is currently the second largest producer of tea, second only to China. India is the largest consumer of tea though with nearly 30% of total tea output being consumed here. There were certain ideas revolving around making tea the ‘National Drink’ of the country but were put down due to lack of sufficient uniformity.

Indians alone consume 15 times more tea than its contemporary nemesis - coffee. The gamut of variations according to taste and ingredients is colossal. For example, ‘masala chai’ is not the preference in Southern parts of India where people usually drink tea without the spices. Other prominent flavors include ‘kadak chai’, a beverage of the mountainous Northern regions of the country. It is a stronger version of chai.  Also, ‘malai maar ke chai’ is common in colder regions which is basically chai topped off with ‘malai’ or full cream. 

Chai - a habit!

The unconventional benefits and groundbreaking reach of chai makes it the perfect habit worthy beverage. The spices and herbs used to make chai not only help with physical health but also help reduce stress and improve mental health. In an era of carbonated and sugary drinks, chai can be the breath of fresh air that everyone surely needs.

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