Is Masala Chai A Result Of Colonialism?
Chai is awesome, and I’m not talking about chai tea latte. Specifically, masala chai. We have a cup of masala chai everyday in my house and I am convinced my mom makes the best! But, I am also pretty sure that is what most people would say about their mother’s chai. There is almost a sense of pride and secrecy when it comes to making it. Most South Asian families have their own special masala blend that is added along with black tea leaves, water and milk and then boiled till it becomes the perfect cup of chai. This masala blend consists of grounded up spices and herbs and varies differently per household. If you were to look up masala chai recipes, you would see how each one is pretty different. However, the elements of a spice blend, black tea leaves, milk, water and sugar (optional) do not change.
With how religiously we Indians take our chai, it almost seems as though it has been around for centuries in India. For me, it was unfathomable to consider Indian culture and food with out taking note of masala chai. When in actuality, Indians have only been drinking masala chai religiously for less than a hundred years! Are you shocked, cause I was! I wondered how could one of India’s most iconic beverages be under a hundred years old! The answer led me to the era of British rule over India.
For Ayurvedic or medicinal purposes, chai was commonly used in India for centuries. Spices were heated in water to create an elixir that was believed to give remedial benefits for certian medical ailments. According to an article on goeatgive.com, some masala chai mixes of today are taken from ancient Ayurvedic medical writings. In Assam, however, tea leaves were used by the people native to the region and was consumed frequently by them. This was seen as a treasure chest for the British because at that time, their main source of tea was from China and the British were OBSESSED with tea. Now by cultivating tea leaves in India, they would not have to worry about the Chinese monopoly over tea. So they began cultivating tea in Assam to export to other markets.
For a long time, tea drinking was exclusive to British people and the elite class in India. However, to gain more profits, the British East India Company decided to start selling tea to the Indian market. How the British were able to get Indians to drink tea has to be one of the most successful propaganda agendas of all time! There were series of advertising campaigns to get Indians to drink tea. Since the concept of having tea regularly and having “tea time” was a new concept, Indians were not too open to the idea of consuming it. The East India Company began displaying lavish tea advertisements showing Indians happily drinking tea and began setting up tea stalls in railway stations and bus stops to get people to interact with tea constantly (if you have time you should look up these propaganda posters it is crazy). Even still to this day, chaiwalas and tea stations can trace their origins to this time.
It was during the Great Depression where the British were able to really succeed with their pushy propaganda. There was so much tea being produced but no one to buy it due to the poor economic environment. The company actually began sending people to important cities in India and training the women of the family on how to make tea. Basically, passive aggressively imposing tea onto households to get people to incorporate tea into their daily lives. So casual. This marketing plan became very effective as people started to become more accustomed to tea. This is also where adding a masala to tea began to popularize as well since Indians weren’t too fond of having the typical British tea.
Mahatma Gandhi criticized tea and believed it was a sign of imperialism in India. So soon people used to associate tea with being an intoxicant, a taboo. People who wanted to drink tea had to do so without the knowledge of people knowing since it was openly looked down upon.
So when did chai actually become India’s national drink? After the independence. India got hold of its tea market and began advertisements of their own encouraging people to gather around a cup of chai. Before only seen in British imposed propaganda, tea was given a new limelight and rightfully so. India had redefined what tea meant in the country and completely made it their own, especially with its unique way of adding spices. So is masala chai a result of colonialism? Probably a more accurate way to say it would be, masala chai is a result of independence.
I first learned of the history of masala chai after watching a youtube video titled Chai Pe Charcha. Dr. Mohsina Mukadam and Mini Menon have an intriguing conversation about the history. I recommend if you want to learn more in detail about chai’s journey in India, do watch this clip. It is so informative and understandable.
Links to websites mentioned/referenced:
https://goeatgive.com/cultureofchai/
https://medium.com/authentic-chai/chai-s-history-a-mystery-f404a98f01e
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF5fF9JDT4Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZONUN2MdrOE
https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/history-of-masala-chai-a-quick-dive-into-the-origins-of-indias-favourite-drink-1683279
https://exhibits.lafayette.edu/s/mate/page/before-independence
https://scroll.in/article/683453/the-glorious-history-of-indias-passion-for-tea-in-eight-images