I am a big fan of tea. My day cannot start without having tea and I have it twice every day. Everyone in my family loves tea as well. They have their own style of making tea and I have mine. Although I can have any type of tea, but if I have it my way it is a pure bliss. I usually like hot ginger tea. When I want a change, I vary the proportions of milk, water, tea powder sugar. I also add chai masala, fennel seeds (sauf), cardamom, cloves, cinnamon depending on my mood. I do not like cinnamon much, so I usually avoid it.

I have a long connection with tea.  When I was a child, I used to have biscuit dipped in tea with my grandparents. Those days we used to have big backyard and we used to sleep outside at nights during summer time. I also remember the cold winter days back in India. I used to wear sweater and muffler and sit in the verandah on a jhula to study for my exams in the morning. My mother used to get me hot cup of tea while I was studying. Getting readymade tea in hand was such a bliss. My uncle is a big fan of tea. Hence, my aunt makes lot of tea at one time and fills a thermos pot with it. She keeps doing this every two to three hours. Whenever I visit my home and I want tea at an odd time, I give a quick visit to my aunt’s place to have tea.

In India we get tea anywhere easily. At restaurants, hostel mess, office canteens, railway stations, trains and even in 5 star hotels. But after coming to USA, it is difficult to get Indian style tea. Although Indian restaurants in USA serve tea, it is not as good as our homemade tea. Coffee chains here serve Chai Latte, which is nowhere near our Indian tea. Sometimes I think, the people in USA are missing an important part in life.

Back home, my family uses Red Label tea. After coming to USA, my hubby liked Waghbakri and after having it, that has become my favorite. It is available is ready to make sachets and dip tea packets too. I keep those at my work place. They have different flavors in ready to make tea and dip tea like adrak chai, masala chai etc. At home I have beautiful tea sets to serve tea.

I had read somewhere that you should know your perfect recipe to make tea. I know mine, and I love to offer it to my guests in my pretty cups and saucers. They are never disappointed by the offer . Do let me know what is your special way to make your tea?