Skip to main content

The Mystique of the Kulhad Chai

 


The receptacle in which the chai is served truly makes all the difference in the experience. In someone's home, tea would be served in a 'proper' manner, in a cup on a saucer with sugar and milk on the side, a throwback to the times of the British Raj. On the streets of Mumbai, it's usually a glass tumbler (though now, I realize the age of disposable paper cups have taken over, sadly). But in certain places in the north, if you can find it, you can partake in the tradition of the "Kulhad Chai".

A Kulhad is an earthenware tumbler with no handles. It is made from raw fired clay without any glaze. The tea takes on a slight earthen flavor the longer it sits, and the aroma is nothing short of divine. I didn't know about the existence of Kulhad chai until I moved to Delhi in my late teens for work.As part of my training, I was being sent down to Bangalore's Windsor Manor Hotel, and I was booked on the Rajdhani Express train. It leaves Delhi station at 8:45 pm but most importantly, it stops at Agra somewhere around midnight. I was advised not to fall asleep until Agra. Why? Because Railway Kulhad chai. I am so glad I heeded that advice. 

There are some things in life you never can forget. Kulhad chai tops that list for me. I cannot forget shivering on the Agra railway platform on that cold December night, cradling Kulhad chai in both hands to stay warm. The creaminess of caramelized milk tea, with hints of clay mingling with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves could only be described as sublime. There I was blowing hard at the surface to cool it down quickly, in order to squeeze in a second cup before the train started moving. That happened somewhere close to 30 years ago, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. Your first Kulhad chai is a thrill similar to losing your virginity, except it's a lot less clumsy and lasts a fair bit longer.

My curiosity peaked when I came across an establishment called Chayoos in Bandra the other day. Clearly they aim to do to chai what Starbucks has done to coffee. A variety of chai experiences were on offer for 10x the cost of street chai which is the price you pay for hygiene, trendiness and air conditioning. On the menu board was listed the infamous Kulhad Chai which got me doing a happy jig much to the curious surprise of the attendant. 

Sadly, it wasn't all that I expected. There was nothing wrong with the chai. It had been prepared perfectly


by their state of the art trademarked "Chai Bots". The Kulhad was a nice decent size too.It had everything you would come to expect from chai. Except it had no soul.

For me, the true chai experience happens in a non air-conditioned environment. The sound around you needs to be the bustle of the train station, garbled announcements on outdated speakers and cries of the hawkers competing for your attention. It cannot be the sounds of a curated Spotify playlist, in a room full of people scrolling on  smartphones. You should not be seated on soft cushions with trendy upholstery.  It needs to be a wooden bench with loose nails threatening to create a rip in your trousers, 

The true experience of Kulhad chai, or any chai for that matter, is a non-sterile environment. It needs to be on a Railway platform, with noise, and pollution, among other passengers who are on the same journey.  Merely strangers you just haven't made friends with yet.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Mumbai Memories of Cutting Chai

" What on earth is Cutting Chai?" Most people in America give me this incredulous look when I speak of the iconic Mumbai street food experience. I don't blame them honestly. I have the same look when Yoga Mom decked out in Lululemon asks for her "Grande nonfat chai latte extra foam with 3 pumps of caramel". I resist the urge to bury my head in my hands as she happily swipes her card for her 6 dollar mid morning pick me up. If you happen to be in the Chai Latte loving camp, I suggest you stop reading right now, as I don't wish to offend your delicate sensibilities. Please return to the article about the perfect form for the downward facing dog. Consuming chai is an integral part of being Indian. We consume on average, at least four cups of chai every day. Your morning newspaper moment is just not quite the same without it. The mid morning breather is the perfect excuse to inhale a quick cup before getting back to the tasks at hand. The four o'clock slump ...

Alphonso: The Undisputed King of Mangoes

  For most desi immigrants, travel to India happens primarily  over the Christmas vacation. The work cycle and demands of the school schedule make winter pretty much the only time to visit family back home. There is one huge drawback to visiting India during this time period. You miss out on feasting on the true king of fruit; the Mango. In India, mangoes come into season Mid April and are available until the end of June. Mangoes are the true indicator that summer has finally arrived. The down side for the Desi who chose to immigrate is having to say goodbye to the pleasure of this summer delight. It was a family emergency that brought me back home at this time of the year. Being my first time visiting India in summer in 24 years, you bet I have a lot of mango catching up to do! Many will argue till blue in the face about which mango variety is the best. The Goans insist it’s the Mankurad variety while the residents of West Bengal swear by the Himsagar. But a true Mumbaikar ca...

A Kinship with American Tea

The Plantations of the American South are an important aspect of her history. At the height of slavery, there were something like 46,000 plantations stretching across the southern states, according to the National Humanities center. The mild temperate climate, plentiful rainfall and fertile soil contributed to the reasons why these operations flourished. That and abundant enforced slave labor at that time. When traveling through South Carolina, a visit to a Plantation is featured on every tourist’s to do list, which is what I chose to do during my recent visit to the Palmetto state. The plantation I chose to visit was the Charleston Tea Garden; the only existing tea plantation in the United States. For some strange reason, I felt a deep connection to my heritage and my roots while I was there. The start of America’s story with Tea began around the 1770s, as an effort to meet the ever increasing British demand for tea at that time.   Tea plantations had been cultivated in large sca...