A Spot of Tea

This weekend has been rather slow and afforded us some time for reflection and leisure (as if we can say that with straight faces considering we haven't had jobs since May).

Yet, we are to officially begin our new jobs teaching English in Bangalore tomorrow, so this feels like the end of something. To be precise, though, we won't actually begin teaching until NEXT Monday. This week will be used to plan and prepare.

As we had so much free time over the past few days, I began experiments on how to make the best batch of Indian milk tea. I wanted to come away from our year in India being able to make this brew because leaving India without the ability to make tea struck me as akin to leaving Juilliard without the ability to play an instrument. Tea is as intrinsic to the "experience" of India as the smell of incense or the sight of saffron-colored marigolds. It powers industry, it breeds cooperation, it energizes the masses, and above all, it tastes good.

Tea, of course, is everywhere here. It is reflexively served at social gatherings or business meetings that involve two or more people. It is not uncommon for diners to order tea before and after a meal. Tea is so popular and partaken of so frequently that a cottage industry of tea touts are gainfully employed across the country: individuals who simply carry around portable steel pots with detachable broilers and serve tea on the street. Walking around India you find the crushed remains of clay cups in which tea is served at ever-present chai stands. These shot-glass sized vessels are swiftly made in outdoor kilns, then filled with tea for patrons who down the drink in one gulp then chuck the empty cups into the gutter.

Coffee runs a distant second on this nation's liquid palate (unfortunately, for me). And espressos and cappuccinos are so rare as to not be worth mentioning. I believe I have had at least one cup of tea every day since arriving in India. Jenna--who lacks the certain gene that predisposes humans to crave caffeine--has had less than me, for sure, but still her fair share. Starbucks could never do profitable business in India but a Starbucks-like chain called Cafe Coffee Day is doing pretty well. Yet, despite its name, the first item on Cafe Coffee Day's menu: tea.

Only after several hundred personal taste tests was I ready to begin making tea. I also had a week-long trip to the heart of India's tea country in northern West Bengal province under my belt. And, in Kolkata, we had been lucky enough to live three weeks with a girl named Shardah who was from Darjeeling--the city synonymous with tea throughout the world. Before I give you my recipe, a few principles I have picked up:

1) Tea powder is better than tea leaves. Apparently, tea powder is more aromatic and gives off less residue in the boiling water than tea leaves. We had one pot of tea made from tea leaves at a restaurant in Siliguri, and we can attest that it was inferior.

2) Soy milk gives the tea a "thicker" composition than cow's or goat's milk. But of course, the higher the fat content of the milk, the "thicker" it will be once done. You can always dilute the milk with water.

3) Letting the milk boil for too long or not stirring enough while boiling can lead to curdling, which makes for some nasty, nasty tea.

4) Chai stands on the street are safe to visit (since the water used to make the tea is boiled), but their concoction is electrifyingly potent. Only if you are an experienced caffeine-hound, should you attempt to drink that stuff.

5) Only Westerners and amateurs dip tea bags into boiling water to make their tea. I did this for the first month that we lived in India. Indians take to this tactic as much as Kansas Citians take to microwaving barbecue ribs. Does it work? Yes. But does it feel right? Absolutely not.

With all that aside, my first batch of milk tea made this weekend in our guesthouse's common kitchen turned out drinkable. I am using soy milk because cow dairy products are hard to come by in India. The soy milk turned my tea into a sort of thin batter. I needed to use more water next time. I also thought I could use more cardamom and less sugar. With these mental notes in mind, I made a second batch which turned out better. Jenna was able to enjoy a cup as she studied for the LSAT.

Here is the recipe, which should make a regular pot of tea to serve 2-4 people. Try it and if you find variations or perfect the tactics of making it in a different way than I instruct below, tell me so I can experiment:

-Mix 4 cups skim or 1% milk and 2 cups water into medium saucepan and bring to boil.

-Add 2 tablespoons tea powder and stir into milk and tea. Continue boiling for 2 minutes.

-Add two pinches of cardamom or ginger (your preference). Continue stirring.

-Add two tablespoons sugar and boil entire mixture for an additional 2 minutes.

-Strain tea liquid into pot. Crucial that you have a coriander or tea strainer fine enough that it catches the minute granules of tea powder.

After that, hopefully, you will enjoy and not gag. This is only a little taste of India, though. Really, to truly get the tea "experience", you have to come here.