Tea: Identity of a Bengali Household II

 

We have seen how tea became a household identity for Bengalis and how they have a passion for tea or 'cha' in their day to day life. Now we will see the passion and love for tea outside one's household. In Kolkata, if you roam anywhere in the streets, you will find tea stalls remarkably standing and showcasing their cha skills. Their commercial advancements come with their skills in making various kinds of tea on the stalls. As it has been mentioned in the earlier entry that cha variety in tea stalls is many. There are ginger tea 'ada cha', lemon tea 'lebu cha', milk tea 'dudh cha' or masala tea. The kind of tea they are selling is not the glamour of their tea stall but instead, the glamour resides in the customization of the tea according to their customers. The customization depends on the tea types. As it was already mentioned in the previous entry, how long tea leaves only belongs to liquor tea and dusted tea to milk tea, sometimes a combination of both. In tea stalls, tea leaves also play an important role in marking a standard for tea. Here 'standard' has nothing to do with the class of customers but it simply defines the standard of tea that will give immense satisfaction to the customer. The demand of tea leaves type for the making of a range of tea comes from the customers. Suppose if someone is asking for 'lebu cha' lemon tea then the tea maker in the stall knows very well that long leaf tea will go well and also match the taste of his customer. The tea for the same should be crystal clear so that one can see through it. Sometimes customers demands 'du-foot cha' two-foot cha or 'teen-foot cha' three-foot cha. You must be wondering what kind of mathematical demand is this but in simple terms, it means the number of times the tea was boiled. Customers can relate to the strongness of the tea depending upon the number of times the tea gets boiled.

Tea at tea stalls can't stand alone as a culture, it combines with one such material which gives richness and uniqueness to tea. Clay pots in the street tea stalls are kind of mandatory for the customers. The demand for chai in a clay pot can't be contested. When the hot tea was poured into the clay pot, the admixture of the scent of clay with the tea gives it a unique flavour and taste to it. The clay pots are also encouraged by the government because it is biodegradable and environment friendly. All the used clay pots from all over Kolkata city were dumped near Ganga ghats and it slowly transforms into clay again, and potters will collect clay from the Ganga ghats for the making of teapots. It is also economical for the pot makers and tea sellers. Therefore tea culture not only stands alone in the City of Joy or the Cultural capital of India but it combines the people who make clay pots for tea, tea sellers and the consumers.

Apart from tea stalls, tea shops selling tea leaves, also continuing the tea culture of Bengalis. Class can be easily evitable in those tea shops. There were variety of tea ranging from Darjeeling to Assam tea, branding some class to their customers. The kind of tea one buys, reflects his/her class. As tea became a necessity in every Bengali household, so every Bengali has the need to visit shop and buy tea leaves for the household. Economic class of the consumer somehow depends on the ₹500 per kg tea or the ₹1000 per kg tea. The class of the consumer resides inbetween these two ranges. The shopkeeper was also aware of the choices of his customer which largely depends on the economic aspect. Is a person is asking for ₹500/kg tea or ₹1000/kg tea, which sometimes ranges between dusted tea to Darjeeling tea, the tea seller will recognizes customer's class and passion for tea. In this respect it is worth mentioning that passion also comes with affordability. One who can afford the higher range has the ultimate passion for tea and one who can't has nothing do with passion but necessity. At the end economy of the person decides the passion.

The passion for tea can also become generation old tradition of a household if the tea comes from the bestest tea shop of the city. Those households are maintaining their elite class through the consumption of tea. Through the manifestation of tea people are engaged in describing themselves as elegant, classy, modern and traditional sometimes. Even if previous generations were not well touched with tea, the present generation will try to move forward as a class and will dictate their coming generations to do the same. Like an order from a Mother to her son Or daughter to bring the ₹900/kg tea from the same shop, from where she use to buy.

Therefore, tea production is greatly depends on the tea consumption, and tea consumption decides the class. Discussion on the high end tea consumption in front of others is a kind of a showcasing of their class. Instead of class in tea; sometimes, somewhere this class really fades away it's glare and unites people irrespective of their classes. Bengalis has the fascination for their tea and will continue to have the same for generations.