Off the Cuff: When tea elbowed out milk

A medium-sized enamel board fixed at a strategic point at my city's railway station in Uttar Pradesh was becoming cynosure of all eyes. Passengers would look at it intently and enjoy the Urdu couplet written on it. Some liked it so much that they kept humming it.

The board showed a turbaned villager holding a cup of steaming tea with a big smile on his face. The couplet read: Satati hai hum ko na mehnat na susti, humain chai peene se aati hai chusti. Loosely translated, it meant "Hard labour or lethargy do not bother me. A cup of tea refreshes me."

It was one of the numerous hoardings that had been put up at key places by India's Tea Board to propagate tea as a drink during the 1940s or may be earlier. That was the time when the average man had not heard of chai as tea was known. This milk-rich country was biased heavily in favour of milk which was available unadulterated aplenty, meeting the entire demand. Pure milk and its products held sway everywhere.

In most homes, it was iced sweet or salted lassi made of milk or curd for the morning and piping hot milk taken at bedtime. Milk addiction was so strong for many people that they would not go to sleep without having their quota.

The Tea Board's dilemma was that its ‘Drink tea' campaign was taking a beating from milk. In fact, tea became a taboo in many families. To break this, the organisation started massive distribution of free garam chai (hot tea) in busy places. Having tasted it for the first time, many people bit the bait.

They learnt the ‘technique' of preparing tea and then started enjoying it. Still, many others had reservations. Notwithstanding opposition, tea was steadily taking roots.

The milk lobby derided chai saying it could affect virility and darken a person's complexion. The beneficial properties of milk were reiterated, its supporters asserting that chai, on the other hand, could only create health problems and reduce a person's life span.

Reluctant acceptance

However, tea gradually made deep inroads and did not take much time to become the ‘national drink' even though milk retained its predominance.

That is how chai, which was cost effective and easy to prepare and serve, elbowed out sherbet (sweet drink) and other beverages. People realised the truth in the Tea Board's claim made decades ago that tea soothes the nerves, the throat and relieves a person of fatigue and sleepiness.

From a time when people had to be coaxed and cajoled to drink it, tea soon became a fashion and passion. Today, no meeting or function is complete without tea. I remember how during the early phase of tea's reluctant acceptance, the orthodox would boil tea leaves in the milk itself, derisively described as tilk or tea-flavoured milk.

Gradually, rising prices and social trends reversed the brew's composition and reduced the quantity. Now, it was more of tea liqueur and less milk, about 300ml taken in their traditional metallic tumbler! Truck drivers and other hard duty persons' demand led to evolution of kadak chai, a much stronger version that kept them going.

In no time, tea was selling everywhere—at roadside dhabas (eateries), outside hospitals @ 100ml for 25-50 paise (2-4 fils). The continuing price rise reduced the content and raised the price. Today, we have reached a situation where the common man has to shell out Rs5 for that unavoidable but refreshing tea that measures hardly 25-30 ml in a small plastic cup enough to hold a toffee.

Lalit Raizada is a journalist based in India.