A Note on Chai (Tea)

Chai here is consumed in great amounts. I had been informed of this before I came, but I did not really believe the extent to which it is a part of life. Did you just wake up? Mid-morning break? Lunch? Hey-you just got home from school! And of course then there is before dinner and after dinner and don’t forget the all-important bedtime cup of chai! You think I am joking, but I am not. This is the minimum for how many times I am offered tea in a day.

I think one of the main reasons for the amount of tea drinking is this: you really shouldn’t drink the water here without boiling it, and bottled drinks are very expensive. If you have to boil the water anyway, might as well make it into tea, right? It is also understood here that tea is very very good for you. I’ve been told it aids in digestion (do they mean because it’s a diuretic?) And if you drink it, you will have long life (probably true, due to the antioxidants). Many Azerbacani’s are also concerned with being cold as a main cause of sickness, and tea is a great way to warm up (or REALLY make sure you are not cold if it happens to be 75 degrees outside). It is also a symbol of hospitality-anyone who comes to visit is always offered tea. Whenever I have friends over, my host sister always arrives at my bedroom door about 15 minutes later, bearing a tray of tea and candy.

So what is the tea etiquette? I know that at least in the Rogers family, the way tea is prepared is a big part of enjoying it so I will include the ritual here. There is a small metal kettle called the Chainiki. You pour about ¾ of a cup of black tea into it along with hot water. This makes a very strong brew that sits in the kitchen all day. Anyone who wants tea pours a small amount from the chainiki and then fills the rest of their teacup with freshly boiled water from a larger kettle. To sweeten, there are several options. The most common is to take a sugar cube, dip it in the tea and then hold it between your teeth as you drink the tea through it. There is also usually a bowl of fruit jam (homemade and totally awesome) on the table. You spoon the jam into your mouth and then drink the tea through it (yum!). There is always a bowl of confette (random chocolates and candies). We also have a sugar bowl on our table; however I am the only person in our family who mixes sugar directly into my tea. There is no cream or milk mixed in (this may go back to the food safety thing).

So that’s the story on tea. Come visit some time, and have some chai!!
~Emma