Dear Friends,
I bet all of you know the
origins of the humble cup of “Chai” or “Tea” happened around 1500 BCE (Before
the Christian Era). It was more used as a medicinal drink than as a refreshing
drink or a stimulant. The earliest credible record of tea drinking happened
around 3rd century AD. Thanks to the British for making it a popular
drink somewhere around 17th century AD and also, let us give the
British the credit for having brought it to India in order to counter the
monopoly China had over Tea.
Today, the top 4 nations
produce 3.3 Million Tons per annum, with China at 1.6, India at 1.0, Kenya at
0.35 and Sri Lanka at 0.35. This accounts for almost 75% of world production of
4.4 Million Tons. The word “Chai” in Hindi comes originally from Cantonese “Cha”
and Persian “Chai”. What is less known is that the leaf size is the chief
criterion for classification of tea plants. The three primary classifications
are Assam type characterized by its largest leaves; China type with its
smallest leaves and Cambodian type with its intermediate size. Blended tea can
be done from plants in the same area of cultivation or with teas from different
areas. The aim of blending is to get a superior flavor of the expensive variety
with inferior taste of tea that is less expensive. With additives and special
processing, these days one can find endless range of scented and flavoured
variants.
Tea is the second most
consumed liquid on earth after water. In India tea is one of the most popular
hot beverage and is made with milk and sugar, with or without spices. Most
often referred to as “doses” it is generally served with biscuits and people
love eating their biscuits dipped in chai before consuming the brew. In the
northern regions of India the piping hot tea is poured into the saucer provided
with the cup and slurped directly from the saucer – sort of instant
gratification as the larger surface area of the saucer allows the chai to cool
down to acceptable levels of the tongue. In the eastern region, tea is served
in small earthen pots called “Khullad”. The taste of Chai served in Khullad is
truly heavenly – this reminds me of the 2 hour train journey between Howrah
(Kolkata) and Durgapur in the evening rush hours. People (myself included!)
would eagerly wait for the Coalfield Express to make its 2 minute halt at
Panagarh station, just two stations away from Durgapur. A middle aged gentleman
would enter with his freshly made Chai in a shining aluminum kettle and a
shoulder bag with Khullads. In the late 70’s a Khullad of this heavenly brew
would cost half-a-rupee and I would end up making the person linger for a few
minutes more to have at least three helpings. Of late the tea bags, plastic and
paper cups seems to have robbed the Chai of its original taste. What we get in
the name of tea is sanitized hot water with the flavor of tea which can
certainly fool the nose but not the tongue which is better hard-wired to the
brain and its memory block!!
Hence, when my good friend
Ganesh Prasad offered to take me to a small chai shop called “Chai Point” in
Ulsoor, I was a bit skeptical not knowing what to expect, although he promised
me that the experience would be pleasant. It turned out to be pretty elegant –
the shop, a 10-by-10 square feet space was splashed with yellow all around, set
with modern day equipment’s that churned out a variety of chai. This being my
first visit, I settled for the most common version “normal” Chai (with milk
& sugar but without spices) and surprisingly, it reminded me of the same
taste that I used to enjoy in my regular weekly trips to Durgapur by Coalfield
Express at Panagarh station. The only difference was the chai here was served
in a glass made from real glass, much like the ones used in Mumbai and the rest
of west. The piping hot tea went very well with small snacks (masala cookies)
that is sold in these Chai Point stores. The biggest surprise however was not
in the taste of Chai but the use of modern day technology for making the
payment as well as the cost of a glass of Chai! While a glass cost Rs. 15, certainly
much-much-more affordable than the coffee at Café Coffee Day, Chai Point has
provided its customers with a MobileApp and the bar-code reader at the shop
recognizes the bar-code on your cellphone and deducts the billed amount from
your deposit amount. Depending on your drinking habit, you can charge Rupees
one hundred or in multiples thereof through a few clicks using your link to the
personal bank account. With Chai Points dotted across the city, drinking your
favorite hot beverage will never be a problem again – definitely affordable and
with a hassle free payment facility.
A quick look at the people
who started this chain in Bangalore in 2011: Amuleek Singh Bijral is the
Founder and CEO of Mountain Trail Foods Pvt. Ltd., and the owner of the brand
“Chai Point”. With an MBA from Harvard Business School, he found in Mr. Tarun
Khanna a mentor and funding investor in Chai Point. Tarun currently teaches at
the Harvard Business School and is also the Faculty Chair for HBS activities in
India. Presently Chai Point has 19 outlets in Bangalore and 3 in NCR of New
Delhi. If Café Coffee Day caught the imagination of Indians with its catchy
slogan – “A lot can happen over a cup of coffee”, Chai Point states in a matter
of fact manner: “India Runs on Chai”!! Perhaps the only two beverages in the
world today that can unequivocally state: “Drink and Drive”!!
Go ahead folks…try it…you
might love it!!
Cheers!!
