Tea: Identity of a Bengali Household

 

Identity of an individual comes with his/her personality, body language and of course the culture you are moulded in but when identity comes to a household or especially a Bengali household, it is something different from usual. What does it mean then? There are lots of cultural practices one could find in a Bengali household. Most common of them is “Maache Bhaate Bangali”- Bengali in fish and rice, it clearly denotes if you are a Bengali then you will love to have fish and rice on your platter.

But apart from Rice and Fish, another element that invaded our culture so deeply that now every Bengali household is to be known from that element only - ‘Cha’ or Tea is what I am referring to. Now you might be wondering what is so special about Bengali household tea? Tea is famous and became a household element in every region of India but I am talking about that special ambition of a Bengali for a cup of tea that he/she can have anytime and anywhere.

Whether that cup of tea comes from a nearby ‘Parar Chai’er Dokan’- neighborhood tea stall or from their house, it gives another level of satisfaction to a Bengali. If you visit Kolkata or anywhere in Bengal, one could encounter at least one tea stall in every neighborhood attracting male crowd in majority but sometimes women can also be seen in countable numbers. Types of ‘Cha’ or Tea these tea stalls sell is milk tea, liquor tea, ‘lebu cha’-lemon tea in common. ‘Dudh Cha’ or milk tea is the most common, which is perfectly boiled with water, milk, tea and generously poured sugar enough to enjoy the sweetness not to adhere your lips together.

But when it comes to home the choice for tea suddenly plays in between boiled tea or brewed tea. I have grown up seeing the passion of my mother for tea. For her tea must be flavorful not colourful. That is why she always prefers to buy ‘Cha-pata’ or tea leaves from her favorite tea shop wherever she goes. I still remember how she finds it difficult to find a perfect tea shop when she was in other states due to my father’s transferable job. Within those tenure of three years of living she almost spend more than half of the tenure in searching for a best tea shop. But sometimes she also failed to do so.

This personal story of my household might made you wondering how much passionate a Bengali is for his/her ‘Cha’ or tea. I have seen while growing up in my known Bengali families two types of tea are a must to have in their kitchen. One is ‘Cha-pata’ or tea leaves and the other one is the dusted tea. Now what’s the difference between these two? The difference is very simple and unique, at the same time not very much recognizable to a non-Bengali person. The difference of flavor and colour, and a Bengali knows when they need colour or flavor in their tea. If they are having their very famous liquor tea then they will go for a flavor tea i.e. tea leaf and if they are having their ‘Dudh cha’- milk tea, they will go for dusted tea because that will give them a nice colour to their tea.

But as I said Bengalis love flavor so, what they do is they will mix tea leaves and dusted tea in an equal proportion and will make their tea with a perfect balance of flavor and colour. May be this recipe has also been adapted by many tea companies by producing tea packets with both long leaf and dusted tea.   

The process of making tea now days has changed. It’s not like those early days when an elite Bengali will have an entire set of tea making pots on their table with a container of milk and sugar separately along with liquor tea which is brewed not boiled. Nowadays you will find tea is still brewed but not in the same manner. A Bengali woman uses and adds tea dust or tea leaves at the end when water or milk is on boiling point and switch off the gas and wait for the tea to brew as long as they want according to the level of richness they prefer. Over a cup of tea a Bengali will always go for an everlasting ‘adda’-informal conversation along with their companion. Whether it’s tea stall or household the ‘adda’ will persist in a same manner. The only difference is, you will find more males around the tea stall and women enjoying their cup of tea along with their companions at home.

So, whenever you visit a Bengali household, don’t expect the tea to be made out of only milk and lots of sugar. What you will get is a flavorful cup of tea - a combination of both boiled and brewed. A Bengali household will always welcome you with their flavorful and passionately prepared Cup of Tea.