Showing posts with label masala chai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label masala chai. Show all posts
Monday, December 15, 2008
Wintertime Chai
One of my favorite types of tea for Winter is masala chai. It's so warming and rich, perfect for a cold day or an evening by the fireplace I wish I could afford in NYC. :) A while back, I wrote two articles on it. Here's some info on the history, culture and ingredients behind masala chai and here are some masala chai recipes. Do you have a great masala chai recipe to share? Feel free to post it as a comment! We'd love to try it out.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Celebration Teas
Sometimes, you just need to celebrate! Most people break out the alcohol, some break out the tea and others break out both. I love high-quality oolongs, pu-erhs or greens, flowering teas or masala chai for non-alcoholic options. Tea cocktails are also delicious and fun if alcohol is part of the plan. Which teas and tea recipes to you use to celebrate?
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
"Diluting the Benefits of Tea"
The NY Times recently put out an article about howtea may not be so healthy for you. The focus: sugary, high-fat drinks are sugary and high-fat EVEN IF THEY CONTAIN TEA. Wow. Excerpt (quoting a noted NYU nutritionist):
"I see so many educated people who, when I tell them it has calories, look at me and say, 'It does?'" said Dr. Young. "These are people who wouldn’t get the whole milk cappuccino, but they get the venti chai because it’s only tea."
I am amazed by how unaware most people are of their health and what they put in their bodies. Yes, masala chai is delicious, but I NEVER drink it daily, not even when I was in India or when I was writing my masala chai recipes. I ADORE iced tea (I'm from the South), but, once again, it's a treat, not a "healthy" tea. I'm glad the Times is trying to raise awareness on this point, but deeply saddened by the fact that it was so low that it needed to be raised in the first place. Sigh...
"I see so many educated people who, when I tell them it has calories, look at me and say, 'It does?'" said Dr. Young. "These are people who wouldn’t get the whole milk cappuccino, but they get the venti chai because it’s only tea."
I am amazed by how unaware most people are of their health and what they put in their bodies. Yes, masala chai is delicious, but I NEVER drink it daily, not even when I was in India or when I was writing my masala chai recipes. I ADORE iced tea (I'm from the South), but, once again, it's a treat, not a "healthy" tea. I'm glad the Times is trying to raise awareness on this point, but deeply saddened by the fact that it was so low that it needed to be raised in the first place. Sigh...
Monday, November 5, 2007
New Article: Masala Chai Recipes
There's a new article up on VeeTea! It's a continuation of last week's article on masala chai. There are 17 masala chai recipes, from "Basic Masala Chai" to "Floral Green Chai" to "Hot and Spicy Chai" to "Yummy Chai Milkshake." Check out "Fusion Tearoom Chai 2" below, and then read more masala chai recipes on my site.
Fusion Tearoom Chai 2
This recipe is sweet, savory, and spicy, with the richness of tamarind and the freshness of mint. It’s my Brooklynite-hipster friend Evan’s favorite.
2 cardamom pods, crushed and lightly roasted
1 tablespoon seedless ripe tamarind pulp
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon cumin, roasted and ground
1/4 teaspoon green peppercorn, ground
dash sea salt
1 cup milk
3 cups water
4 teaspoons turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons Assam black tea
Boil the spices with water for about 5-10 minutes, add the sugar and milk, remove the mixture from heat, and then add the tealeaves to steep for 3-10 minutes. Strain and serve in prewarmed teacups.
Fusion Tearoom Chai 2
This recipe is sweet, savory, and spicy, with the richness of tamarind and the freshness of mint. It’s my Brooklynite-hipster friend Evan’s favorite.
2 cardamom pods, crushed and lightly roasted
1 tablespoon seedless ripe tamarind pulp
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon cumin, roasted and ground
1/4 teaspoon green peppercorn, ground
dash sea salt
1 cup milk
3 cups water
4 teaspoons turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons Assam black tea
Boil the spices with water for about 5-10 minutes, add the sugar and milk, remove the mixture from heat, and then add the tealeaves to steep for 3-10 minutes. Strain and serve in prewarmed teacups.
Monday, October 29, 2007
New Article: Masala Chai
Today's new article is part one of a two parter on everyone's favorite Indian sweet drink, masala chai. Excerpt:
MASALA CHAI HISTORY
Masala chai dates back to over 5000 years ago (some say 9000), when a king created an herbal version in an Indian or Siamese court (or so the legend goes… I’m fairly sure that this is a myth, much like the Chinese tale of Emperor Shen Nong’s discovery of tea). It was an Ayurvedic concoction from the start and was considered to be a cleansing and vivifying remedy for minor ailments. Early on, masala chai was prepared in a variety of ways, served both hot and cold, and comprised of a wide range of spices. Recipes varied from town to town, neighborhood to neighborhood, and even home to home.* Many years later (in 1835), the British set up tea plantations in Assam. The black teas produced there seeped into masala chai recipes, and masala chai as we know it today (tea, sweetener, milk, and spices) was born. It didn’t approach its current popularity level until the advent of CTC (Cut, Tear, Curl) mechanized tea production in Assam the 1960. CTC produces very inexpensive tea that infuses quickly and produces a strong flavor, making it perfect for masala chai in the Indian market. Chai’s popularity spread ‘round the globe, but it remains a cornerstone of Indian culture today.
MASALA CHAI IN INDIAN CULTURE
Masala chai is a major component of Indian culture today, but it is ingrained in everyday life much like coffee in the US. The result is that outsiders see it as a big deal, while locals think of it as ordinary. (This reminds me of the time I made hummus for a friend from Tokyo and changed her whole worldview. To me, hummus is a common food, but to her, trying it the first time was a revelation.) Most people in India drink about four cups of masala chai a day. Many many take a break around 4PM for chai and snacks, usually fried samosas and/or pakoras, “farsan” (savory snacks from West India’s Gujarat region), and “nashta” (savory breakfast foods). There is a “family tradition” element to masala chai in India and neighboring chai-drinking countries. Much like that incredible recipe for… whatever… that your grandmother gave you and that you KNOW tops any other variation out there, people in and around India take great pride in their own recipes and feel that theirs is the only REAL way to prepare masala chai...
Read more about masala chai culture and ingredients on Vee Tea! Next week, I'll give you over a dozen of my own masala chai recipes. In the meantime, feel free to post YOUR favorite masala chain recipe here.
MASALA CHAI HISTORY
Masala chai dates back to over 5000 years ago (some say 9000), when a king created an herbal version in an Indian or Siamese court (or so the legend goes… I’m fairly sure that this is a myth, much like the Chinese tale of Emperor Shen Nong’s discovery of tea). It was an Ayurvedic concoction from the start and was considered to be a cleansing and vivifying remedy for minor ailments. Early on, masala chai was prepared in a variety of ways, served both hot and cold, and comprised of a wide range of spices. Recipes varied from town to town, neighborhood to neighborhood, and even home to home.* Many years later (in 1835), the British set up tea plantations in Assam. The black teas produced there seeped into masala chai recipes, and masala chai as we know it today (tea, sweetener, milk, and spices) was born. It didn’t approach its current popularity level until the advent of CTC (Cut, Tear, Curl) mechanized tea production in Assam the 1960. CTC produces very inexpensive tea that infuses quickly and produces a strong flavor, making it perfect for masala chai in the Indian market. Chai’s popularity spread ‘round the globe, but it remains a cornerstone of Indian culture today.
MASALA CHAI IN INDIAN CULTURE
Masala chai is a major component of Indian culture today, but it is ingrained in everyday life much like coffee in the US. The result is that outsiders see it as a big deal, while locals think of it as ordinary. (This reminds me of the time I made hummus for a friend from Tokyo and changed her whole worldview. To me, hummus is a common food, but to her, trying it the first time was a revelation.) Most people in India drink about four cups of masala chai a day. Many many take a break around 4PM for chai and snacks, usually fried samosas and/or pakoras, “farsan” (savory snacks from West India’s Gujarat region), and “nashta” (savory breakfast foods). There is a “family tradition” element to masala chai in India and neighboring chai-drinking countries. Much like that incredible recipe for… whatever… that your grandmother gave you and that you KNOW tops any other variation out there, people in and around India take great pride in their own recipes and feel that theirs is the only REAL way to prepare masala chai...
Read more about masala chai culture and ingredients on Vee Tea! Next week, I'll give you over a dozen of my own masala chai recipes. In the meantime, feel free to post YOUR favorite masala chain recipe here.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Last Full Day in Kolkata (This Trip)
Today is my last full day in Kolkata. Well, for this trip, anyway! I hope to return again soon. The people are charming. (I'd heard so many bad things about the scams and the beggars, but it hasn't been a problem at all. Perhaps it helps that we're wearing local dress?) The city is completely overwhelming, in a good way. The food is delicious, as is the tea. The culture is rich and poetic. Perhaps I can visit again in two years...
Today, Natalia and I were taken under the wing of a local tea distributer. We were escorted to Kumar Tolli, a para (neighborhood) where artisans craft life-sized sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses for an annual festival that's held each October. They wrap straw around wooden rods and bind it with twine to form a base for the sculpture. Then, they coat it with clay from the Ganges, which has been mixed with wood chips (to make it sturdy). The top layer of clay is not mixed with wood chips, so it makes for a smooth surface. After it dries, it is painted with bright colors, and carried to the Ganges, where it is returned to the river. Such a beautiful cycle! Ideas of time and work are so different here. More on that later (when I have time... ironic?).
Afterward, we were taken to Tangra, where we saw some sights and ate more Chinese food. (It's a local favorite here. Don't worry-- we're eating local cuisine, too! And it's quite good.) Then we went to the Victoria Memorial and Botanical Gardens, which made me think of Central Park. The only real reasons are that it's an oasis of green in the middle of the city and that it has very little smog compared to the surrounding area. The local marble used to build the memorial was lovely, and the handwork was very intricate. Seeing the local flora was a real treat, too. Oh, and we saw the chipmunks, which have stripes and are much more adorable than American chipmunks. (Historical tidbit--their tail hairs used to be used to make brushes for Indian miniature paintings.)
It was so kind of the tea distributor to show us around. We had a fantastic time!
Now we're around our hotel again. I am contemplating the purchase of a deep aqua sari with silver handwork. Natalia and I might get henna painted on our hands. I'm sure we'll have some more masala chai. We leave early tomorrow, so I think we'll take it easy tonight.
I'll post back as soon as I can. Later!
~Vee
Today, Natalia and I were taken under the wing of a local tea distributer. We were escorted to Kumar Tolli, a para (neighborhood) where artisans craft life-sized sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses for an annual festival that's held each October. They wrap straw around wooden rods and bind it with twine to form a base for the sculpture. Then, they coat it with clay from the Ganges, which has been mixed with wood chips (to make it sturdy). The top layer of clay is not mixed with wood chips, so it makes for a smooth surface. After it dries, it is painted with bright colors, and carried to the Ganges, where it is returned to the river. Such a beautiful cycle! Ideas of time and work are so different here. More on that later (when I have time... ironic?).
Afterward, we were taken to Tangra, where we saw some sights and ate more Chinese food. (It's a local favorite here. Don't worry-- we're eating local cuisine, too! And it's quite good.) Then we went to the Victoria Memorial and Botanical Gardens, which made me think of Central Park. The only real reasons are that it's an oasis of green in the middle of the city and that it has very little smog compared to the surrounding area. The local marble used to build the memorial was lovely, and the handwork was very intricate. Seeing the local flora was a real treat, too. Oh, and we saw the chipmunks, which have stripes and are much more adorable than American chipmunks. (Historical tidbit--their tail hairs used to be used to make brushes for Indian miniature paintings.)
It was so kind of the tea distributor to show us around. We had a fantastic time!
Now we're around our hotel again. I am contemplating the purchase of a deep aqua sari with silver handwork. Natalia and I might get henna painted on our hands. I'm sure we'll have some more masala chai. We leave early tomorrow, so I think we'll take it easy tonight.
I'll post back as soon as I can. Later!
~Vee
Saturday, August 11, 2007
More of Kolkata
Kolkata is such a fascinating place. I think I'm getting the hang of everything but the pollution. (It's very smoggy here.) Walking in the streets, talking with people, navigation, and making purchases are all getting much easier.
Natalia and I have both bought some salwar kameez (salwar=pants, kameez=tunic/long shirt, a salwar kameez also has a dupatti, or scarf), which are being hand-tailored for us. The fabrics are exquisite! Similar garments would cost so much more in the US, and they wouldn't be custom-made. As someone with a textile design background and love for textiles, I am in heaven.
We tried some of the food and explored a bit. The local markets (which we visited yesterday, too) are now easily navigable. We checked out Park Street, ehich is a "cool" part of town. We tried some IndoChinese fusion cuisine (amazing, filling, and about $3 for the two of us--we had crispy fried tofu, spring rolls, gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian, vegetarian Thai curry, and jasmine tea) in a hidden-away, air-conditioned restaurant, then headed over to Flurry's ("Kolkata's only tearoom") to find that they are actually a restaurant. We bought some sweets (for which they are famous, we chose a dark chocolate torte slice and am almond cake "cube" (really a rectangular prism)) and headed over to Chinatown ("Tangra"), then explored the local market some more, and made friend with a few people in the para (neighborhood), including the chai wallah (tea vendor).
We had some more masala chai. It's still delicious! (You see, we have to check several times a day, just to make sure.) It comes in tiny, unfired, red clay cups, which you throw on the ground when you are done with your drink. If you live in the west, you are probably put off by that. (It seems like littering, right?) Don't worry-- the clay is smashed by pedestrians, rickshaws, jeeps, and taxis, then mixed back into the earth by the rain. If it's the dry season, then the chipped and broken cups become a temporary part of the sidewalk or road (which is often made up of stones, broken cement, and such). The local red clay deposits are later used to make the cups all over again. It's natural recycling.
I spoke with the owner of Makaibari Tea Estate today. I'm so excited about the visit! They were the first biodynamic (a step beyond organic) tea estate in the world, all the way back in the 70s (before it was trendy). There is so much to learn there. I can't wait!
More soon. Check back again.
~Vee
If you're reading this on Vee Tea, the post order may be funny. Try my Vee Tea Blogger page instead.
Natalia and I have both bought some salwar kameez (salwar=pants, kameez=tunic/long shirt, a salwar kameez also has a dupatti, or scarf), which are being hand-tailored for us. The fabrics are exquisite! Similar garments would cost so much more in the US, and they wouldn't be custom-made. As someone with a textile design background and love for textiles, I am in heaven.
We tried some of the food and explored a bit. The local markets (which we visited yesterday, too) are now easily navigable. We checked out Park Street, ehich is a "cool" part of town. We tried some IndoChinese fusion cuisine (amazing, filling, and about $3 for the two of us--we had crispy fried tofu, spring rolls, gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian, vegetarian Thai curry, and jasmine tea) in a hidden-away, air-conditioned restaurant, then headed over to Flurry's ("Kolkata's only tearoom") to find that they are actually a restaurant. We bought some sweets (for which they are famous, we chose a dark chocolate torte slice and am almond cake "cube" (really a rectangular prism)) and headed over to Chinatown ("Tangra"), then explored the local market some more, and made friend with a few people in the para (neighborhood), including the chai wallah (tea vendor).
We had some more masala chai. It's still delicious! (You see, we have to check several times a day, just to make sure.) It comes in tiny, unfired, red clay cups, which you throw on the ground when you are done with your drink. If you live in the west, you are probably put off by that. (It seems like littering, right?) Don't worry-- the clay is smashed by pedestrians, rickshaws, jeeps, and taxis, then mixed back into the earth by the rain. If it's the dry season, then the chipped and broken cups become a temporary part of the sidewalk or road (which is often made up of stones, broken cement, and such). The local red clay deposits are later used to make the cups all over again. It's natural recycling.
I spoke with the owner of Makaibari Tea Estate today. I'm so excited about the visit! They were the first biodynamic (a step beyond organic) tea estate in the world, all the way back in the 70s (before it was trendy). There is so much to learn there. I can't wait!
More soon. Check back again.
~Vee
If you're reading this on Vee Tea, the post order may be funny. Try my Vee Tea Blogger page instead.
Friday, August 10, 2007
In Kolkata (Calcutta)
I arrived in Kolkata (Calcutta) today. It's filthy and poverty-stricken and crowded and loud... and I love it! There are so many beautiful colors and textures, so many wonderful people, so many things to do... Yes, there is bureaucracy. The lines are long and the traffic is terrible. There are people who will harass you on the street. There is trash and muck all around. A lot of people are completely destitute. It's hot and muggy. However, the rewards are worth the bureaucracy and the waiting. The harassment is typically in the form of asking you to buy something (many of the things they are offering are things I want--bottled water, hand-made clothing) or begging for food (which is simple enough to provide if you hand out your leftovers from the enormous meals they serve in all the restaurants). As for the poverty... it's hard to see, but tourism is a major industry here and it benefits the local populus. I can only hope that I can help. And as for the weather, well, it's probably worse in NYC right now! I thought it would be much worse than it is. It's really not that bad! I would never want to live in Kolkata, but I intend to visit again as soon as I can!
I'd also like to take a moment to talk about (of course!) the tea. The masala chai (hot, spiced black tea with milk and sugar, called "chai" in the US) is the absolute best I've ever had. It's sweet and creamy. The tea is dust (low-grade), but the spices are very fresh. The ginger is what makes it--I don't think I can go back to dried ginger in my masala chai after this! Indian masala chai varies by region. Here, the main flavors are sugar, ginger, and cardamom, with a bit of clove. Some areas use fennel, cinnamon, more clove, and other spices. In the US, it's usually heavy on the cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. I'm looking forward to trying Darjeeling's masala chai to compare with the other kinds I've had. I'm even more excited about visiting Darjeeling's tea estates, though! I can hardly wait...
I'm having a great time so far. More soon!
~Vee
PS--If you're reading this on Vee Tea, the post order may be funny. Try my Vee Tea Blogger page instead.
I'd also like to take a moment to talk about (of course!) the tea. The masala chai (hot, spiced black tea with milk and sugar, called "chai" in the US) is the absolute best I've ever had. It's sweet and creamy. The tea is dust (low-grade), but the spices are very fresh. The ginger is what makes it--I don't think I can go back to dried ginger in my masala chai after this! Indian masala chai varies by region. Here, the main flavors are sugar, ginger, and cardamom, with a bit of clove. Some areas use fennel, cinnamon, more clove, and other spices. In the US, it's usually heavy on the cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. I'm looking forward to trying Darjeeling's masala chai to compare with the other kinds I've had. I'm even more excited about visiting Darjeeling's tea estates, though! I can hardly wait...
I'm having a great time so far. More soon!
~Vee
PS--If you're reading this on Vee Tea, the post order may be funny. Try my Vee Tea Blogger page instead.
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