Given a choice between a tea with a past, and a tea with a brand, which would you choose? In parts of Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad, the iconic Irani Chai retains a devout fan base. A sweet, milky concoction, it is served with chunky ‘Osmania’ biscuits. It normally comes for under 15 rupees a cup, far cheaper than tea in air-conditioned café chains. The milk is boiled for several hours before it is sweetened with condensed milk or mawa, and added to the tea decoction.
Image: 7MBIrani cafes emerged from the blend of Indian and Iranian cultures in the early 1800’s. Today, the blend of global cultures is fading them into oblivion. When many once lined the streets in Mumbai and Hyderabad, today more and more are shut down to make way for Metro projects and other developments.
The habit of drinking chai has undergone many changes in history. India had a sleepy tradition with tea, with some evidence of it in ancient times, followed by a long period of absence. In the early 1800s, tea plantations were introduced by the British to make the subcontinent a competitor to the Chinese tea industry. Adopted as an evening drink by the aristocratic class, it didn’t reach mainstream adoption until the 1900s, when the Tea Board began aggressive marketing campaigns to spread the practise of drinking tea.
Image: 7MBAround that time, in the 1890s, Iranians migrated from the famine-struck Yazd province in Iran and sowed the seeds for a long legacy in the subcontinent. With Irani chai initially made without milk, the latter was added later to suit Indian tastes. Over the years, small vendors grew into strategically placed cafes – and Bombay’s Irani café culture was born.
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