Drinking Tea in Bangladesh

If our British colonial masters had contributed anything to complement Bengali culture, it was with tea. I would not know the name of that romantic visionary British gentleman who brought the shrub to the Assam-Bengal region of the subcontinent all the way from China.

However, if someone does, he or she should see to that his rightful place is ensured in our history books for introducing the beverage which has become a national addiction and an integral part of our culture.

Tea is essentially Asian and goes by the universal nomenclature of Cha. I believe the storm in the cup continues to rage between the Chinese and the Japanese on owning its origins, but we have to give credit to both these two nations for offering this magnificently relaxing stimulant to people all over the world. Drinking tea is a ceremonial ritual to the Japanese, an elixir for the Chinese, a status symbol for the English gentry, a pastime for the Arabs and a passionate addiction to the Bengalis.

Tea enthusiasts demand nothing less than perfection when it comes to the brew. The eloquent tea ceremonies in Japan and China that date back to several millennia and the less ceremonial but no less aristocratic tea ritual in an English country club, have upheld the legacy of tea among the most fashionable of beverages.

Planters similar to the vineyard brewers are tasked to make the perfect blend of colour, flavour and taste to satisfy the most fastidious of tea drinkers. So the next time you take your tea, you will need to think of that person who had swirled endless sips in his mouth to bring the perfect blend that suits your palate.

Currently we often face a dilemma like the situation when it comes to choosing our particular blend of tea. The producers', blenders and retailers have left nothing to chance to make tea competitive vis-a-vis other beverages. They now come in a variety of colourful packages and such alluring brands such as Jasmine, Oolong, English Breakfast, English Afternoon, Earl Gray and Lady Gray, Camille and what not.

These are surely some of the famed varieties, but I would prefer tea in its purest form of black or green Orange Pekoe, Broken Orange Pekoe and the Orthodox Classic loose-leaf tea.

Now let's say a few words on the topic of drinking tea, by us Bangladeshis.

The British planters more than couple of centuries ago, braved the heat and torrential monsoon rains , survived unending bouts of malaria, dysentery, typhoid and cholera, to set up plantations in the Himalayan mountain ranges of Darjeeling down to the foot hills of Assam, Bengal and Ceylon. The pioneer planters did not suffer the pains and trauma just only for the love of tea.

They were driven by making profits as well. While the choicest blends were shipped back to Britain, the bulk was meant for the markets in the colonies in the New World and the Indian subcontinent as well. The English were, and I am sure they continue to be so, traders at heart.
They knew that in order to popularize tea locally, the first job would be to make the locals get addicted to the beverage. They also knew that if it worked with opium in China, there was no reason to doubt the impact of the more innocent herb in Bengal and rest of the sub continent. And indeed it was so.

The plan worked perfectly. First, free samples were offered in villages and urban markets, and as soon as its taste set in as a habit, the price tag was imposed. By then the addiction caught up and grew in strength, so much so that today, anyone in Bangladesh may not mind missing a meal but I doubt very much if he would let in on missing out on his cup of tea.

Tea brewing in Bangladesh varies. The elitists would like to go for the lighter and aromatic Darjeeling tea or begin their day with a sac of English Breakfast or Earl Grey brands. But take a stroll down the city streets or the village markets anytime from day break to late into the night , and you are least likely to miss sniffing whiffs of tea being boiled on open fires in the proverbial blackened kettles in the tea stalls that abound in plenty.

The brew is strong and bold enough to give you fleeting insomnia. And when you sit on the bench and order your cup, it's a delight to see your tea being readied in front of your eyes. The strong liquor reddened by continuous boiling is poured by skilful hands of the stall owner into cups and mugs lined in front of him. This is followed by a steady flow of sweet condensed milk and added sugar and then vigorously stirred before it is handed to you.

In some special cases, evaporated milk with a thick layer of "malai" or cream will be used in place of condensed milk. And as you take your sip, you are overcome by a taste of nectar that could surely have descended from the heavens.

But we Bengalis did not stick only to the recipe from the days of the Raj. Overtime, we too became adventurous to change our taste and invent our own indigenous recipes. While the "Doodh Cha" or milk tea is by far the most popular, you can also get a cup of "Rong Cha" or just plain black tea. If you wish, you can add variety with a twist of fresh lemon to add tang to your cup of "Lembu Cha". If suffering from cold or a sore throat, not to worry. The tea maker will add some slices of ginger to the brew and can soothe your throat and your taste with "�da-Cha" or ginger tea. The North Indian recipe of "Masala Chai" is yet to gain popularity among the masses in Bangladesh but any restaurant will be happy to serve you with this at your asking. This version of milky tea mixed with exotic spices will definitely lift your spirits and your body.

One unique tea making that I believe is not to be seen anywhere else in the world is the seven layer tea that is available in a tea house only in the tea growing town of Srimangal in Bangladesh. The 7 Layer Tea is the creation of a young man who started as a tea boy in Srimangal Railway Station. Being raised in the tea heartland of the country, he had excellent knowledge of the tea shrubs and leaves. He set his mind at work and came out with the innovation. The 7 layer tea is served in a transparent glass with the seven layers of tea of different colours.

I tasted his ware and found it appetizing. How the tea took its colours quite frankly is beyond me. I asked him to share his recipe which he firmly regretted. I hope the fellow has his recipe patented before some multinational manages to get a hand on it and mint millions.

I cannot draw an end to this piece without sharing a couple of anecdotes. The Bengali word for drink is "paan" while "khao" would mean to eat. For some strange reason, Bengalis say "Cha Khai". The literal meaning of this expression would be eating tea. I have often been made fun of this by my non-Bengali friends for 'eating' tea rather than drinking it.

My response was that if it's okay to eat soup, I guess you can pass with "Cha Khai".

If you want plain (black) tea in Bangladesh, you would have to order "rong cha" or "liquor" tea. As it happened, we were dining in a restaurant in mid town Manhattan, New York some years ago. After we finished dinner, the waitress came up to take our orders for tea or coffee.

One friend wanted his tea black and asked the waitress if he could have liquor tea. The waitress seemed trifle bewildered but went back to the bar only to come back with the apology: "Sir, I am sorry, we do not have liquor tea but I would be happy to bring you "coffee liqueur" if you like"

The writer is a former foreign
secretary