Interesting facts about chai and India! – Read to know!
Ek shaam zindagi, ek shaam hum,
Ek pyaali chai, jo door karegi gam.
Chai has a special place in India. The morning starts with a sip of kadak chai. If it is raining, it calls for chai pakode. And another cup of chai to nurse your broken heart! It is International Tea Day on the 21st of May. Let us unite all the chai lovers and enlighten them with these astounding facts about Chai and India!
Amazing Facts about Chai and India!
1. International Tea Day is recognized by the United Nations!
All hail the United Nations! It is a moment of joy for all the chai lovers! Believe it or not, 21st May is actually celebrated as International Tea Day.
But what has this got to do with India? It has. Well, the UN in its opening paragraphs clearly mentions –
“It is believed that tea originated in northeast India, north Myanmar and southwest China, but the exact place where the plant first grew is not known.”
That’s why it makes India as the motherland of chai. We gave birth to chai !
2. Camellia Sinensis is native to India!
The botanical name of tea/chai is “Camellia Sinensis”. Camellia is shrub which grows in India and China. There are about 45 species of Camellia. But the most important specie is the “Camellia Sinensis”. And it is a native of India!
It is an important specie because commercial tea is obtained from it. And it is because of this specie that Indian tea market flourishes.
3. Cultivation of chai in India
Contrary to popular belief, tea is not only cultivated in Assam and West Bengal. In fact, there are 2 main tea growing regions in India.
First is the state of Assam and West Bengal. Second is regions of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
4. Consumption of chai in India
India is the 2nd largest producer of tea since China takes the number one position. But when it comes to consumption of tea, India takes the 1st spot!
Even though India consumes almost 30% of tea, we are still the number one exporter of it. Isn’t that ironic? Because even after consuming so much, we are still able to export it!
5. Chai has no nutrition 🙁
Another popular belief among Indians is that chai provides nutrition. But sorry to burst the bubble, it has none.
The proteins in the leaves is lost during processing. Therefore, chai has 0 nutrition. But when it is mixed with milk and sugar, it consumes their nutritive value.
6. Chai was meant to be a high status drink!
Yes. You heard that right.
Tea was commercially cultivated for the first time under the British rule. They acquired large tea estates in North-East India and established large scale production. The tea was meant for them exclusively.
But due to such large scale production, the availability increased. Hence, tea eventually became accessible to all. And it became a drink for the masses!
7. Darjeeling Tea has a Geographical Indication Tag!
Any kind of tea is usually named after the region it comes from. That’s why the name “Darjeeling Tea”. This tea only grows in this geographical region. And due to its geographical origin, it obtained the geographical indication tag!
In fact, Darjeeling tea was the first Indian product to obtain a geographical indication tag in 2004.
8. India has a diversity of chai
India is a huge country. Languages change at every nook and corner. And so does the variety of tea!
Some of the famous chai in India are –
- Masala Chai
- Kadak Chai
- Bombay Cutting Chai
- Kashmiri Qahwa
- Sulaimani Chai
- Kulhad Chai
Now go have that sip of tea you left for cold! Happy International Tea Day!
