Tea and me - a lifelong romance!

It dates back to the time when I was hardly 14 or 15 years old. One day I ran up to my mother and said - I want to drink a cup of tea. I want to taste it. My father was a chain tea-drinker, and I want to imitate him. Obviously, I was big fan of my dad and as a matter of fact, he had great qualities to create several fans across generations. One of the ways he connected to people was through tea. He drank tea in the morning over a conversation and flipping through the newspaper, he would drink again at his office, at the community club or purely when relaxing with his friends.

I liked the first tea, so much so that I started drinking it often. It helped me to concentrate on my studies, spend quality time with my parents and also be by the side of my grandma. My grandma liked tea, and we could bond over it!

Years passed, the context kept changing, but drinking habit did not. First with high school friends, then with college friends, finally with office colleagues. During these phases, a small cup of tea mixed with milk and sugar would cost maximum 5 rupees. Those 5 rupees would mean a lot if the return on investment was not good. Therefore, a certain shop by the riverside at my hometown, or another one by Howrah Station in Kolkata, or a certain one close to Ameerpet, Hyderabad, were always the preferred choice(s). 

All these started to fade away when I came to Europe. Reasons for that being -

• Coffee is the main beverage here.
• Tea is not "cooked", it is just prepared with warm water and tea bags.
• Boiling the tea and boiling it with milk is never an option here.
• The tea leaves used back in India are not commonly used here.

So, ultimately, I switched to coffee. But first love stays with you - tea can never be forgotten. Even today, when I get to taste a cup of tea, I grab the opportunity. Last weekend it so happened, that I was by Danube river side, and there was a shop selling Turkish tea. I bought it, tasted it and liked it. 

Every now and then when I visit an Indian restaurant here in Germany or in Sweden, I ask for a cup of milk tea. Why not? After all, the emotional memory, the time travels and the time spent once with the near and dear ones can be somewhat re-created! At least in images!

Another thing I do. When I am in India, I meet friends, relatives and well-wishers. I make it a point to invite them home or sometimes I too travel around to meet them. One thing is essential in these meetings - a cup of tea! No matter where you go in India, tea is still the biggest ice-breaker!

Some tips for making Indian tea -

1. Let the water boil first, then place tea leaves on boiling water.
2. Warm up the milk separately, make it thick.
3. Put some small amount of sugar just after pouring the warm milk into the boiling water with tea.

Here in Europe, it is possible to get thick milk or more saturated milk from supermarket. Try those. If you have no tea leaves, no worries - tea bags go equally well. My preferred variety would be "English Breakfast" and "Earl Grey"! These come as teabags and are really good in taste. They have flavours and can even produce a beautiful smell. Do the same steps as for tea leaves - boil, boil and then dip the teabag. Mix it with the warm or hot milk, put some sugar-free tablets or sugar in.

The sad part however is, no matter how hard you try, those that can make good tea will always be hard to beat. Its a delicacy that one learns how to make, and practice makes it perfect, in steps.

Signing off for today, lets meet tomorrow again.