Question: What is a Chai Wallah?

Answer:

The tea term chai wallah refers to a maker and seller of masala chai (a.k.a. "chaitea").

The word "chai" is a Hindi word originating in India. It literally means "tea".

The word "wallah" is also a Hindi word. It literally translates to "person". "Wallah" is used in a variety of job titles and states of being in India, such as "rickshaw wallah" (a rickshaw driver) and "Bombay wallah" (a person who lives in Mumbai).

Outside of India, "chai" has come to mean spiced tea, but within India, chai can refer to any type of tea. Therefore, chai wallahs in India often sell milk tea, black tea, ginger tea and other types of tea, as well as masala chai. The type of chai they sell typically varies by region. Here are some examples of regional variations on what chai wallahs sell:

• New Delhi area: black tea with fresh ginger root, milk and sugar
• Mumbai / Bombay: thick, strong, milky black tea boiled with cardamom seed and sugar, served in half-size servings called "cuttings"
• Kerala: "metre chai" made from milk, sugar and black tea and poured back and forth between two cups until foamy and bubbly
• Ladakh: pu-erh tea made with milk and salt (not sugar)
• Gujarat: mixed spice black tea with milk, served from a shallow bowl rather than a glass or mug, and sometimes garnished with a sprig of mint
• Fort Cochin / Kochi: mixed spice tea with a bit of black pepper
• Tamil Nadu: sweet, strong milk tea prepared with a filter akin to a coffee filter; sometimes spiced

• Hyderabad: so-called "Sulemani chai", a drink made of sweet black tea with lemon
• Bhopal: black tea made with milk and salt (not sugar)

Methods of tea preparation vary widely depending on they type of chai being made, but common preparation techniques include:

• Boiling "tea dust" (a low grade of tea) over an open fire
• Adding cow milk, buffalo milk or milk powder to the boiling tea
• Mixing in plenty of raw sugar
• Chopping or smashing fresh ginger root
• Grinding cardamom pods
• Grinding other masala chai spices, such as cinnamon and cloves
• Tearing fresh herb leaves, such as lemongrass and mint
• Boiling spices and / or herbs with the tea
• Straining the tealeaves and spices out of the tea
• Pouring the chai into cups, mugs or even plastic bags for sale

After preparing the chai, the chai wallah may sell directly from the stall or have another person (often a boy) run the chai around to various buyers while carrying it on a small tray with notches or holders for the cups.

Chai wallahs are major players in Indian social life. Their stalls, carts and shops act as gathering places for various classes and types of people (though mainly men frequent them). It is common for people to mingle over their cups of chai and biscuits / cookies, and to share news of all sorts with the chai wallah. For this reason, chai wallahs are often the go-to person for local gossip. Most chai wallahs are men, though there are a few chai wallahs who are female, as well.

As the popularity of food carts has grown in America, a few chai wallahs have popped up there. For example, there is a chai cart is located in San Francisco. Along with the use of soy instead of milk, the use of rooibos instead of black tea, the use of vanilla and other non-traditional spices, and the increasing sizes of chai drinks, this American twist on the tea culture of India is yet another way that chai has changed as it has reached global tea drinkers.