It is widely known that Chai Tea originated in India, but did you know how integral chai is to the Indian lifestyle?
Everywhere you turn, you’ll see shops peppering the streets, the chai wallahs (those who sell it) standing over their boiling pots of tea, milk, sugar and spices. North Indian chai is spiced heavily with ginger, a root used in many hot milk-based beverages there, thanks to its many health benefits. Chai wallahs peddle their wares in any location possible, including various festivals and even sacred places where the dying gather to live out their final days. The mourning families congregate around the chai stand to feel comfort in the hot beverage.
To anyone else, chai tea is just a sweet and spicy indulgence. But to those in India, it’s a deeply-ingrained part of their society, from beginning to end.
Read more on how chai is an integral element of Indian culture.
