12 Comments
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Sol ☼'s avatar

This was so sweetly fascinating, and that quote from your father made me chuckle. I'm drinking matcha as I write this but now I want a chai...

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Sarah [Pixels & Paragraphs]'s avatar

My father would be very pleased to know he made someone reconsider their drink choices 😅

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Amal Shakeb's avatar

I am not a chai drinker myself but I can completely relate to the culture and have always felt a misfit for not being a chai lover.

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Sarah [Pixels & Paragraphs]'s avatar

I’ve always felt like a bit of a chai outsider too—but somehow still completely immersed in the culture around it. It’s funny how something can shape your life even when it’s not part of your personal routine. You’re definitely not alone in that feeling.

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sukhi's avatar

Wow I loved this so so much🥹 so relatable and you described the cultural significance of chai so well. It’s a literal lifestyle and means so much to indian families. I also love how you captured this so beautifully despite not even being a chai drinker! (Me on the other hand, obsessed!) I also appreciate you discussing the history of chai because despite having it every day and also growing up surrounded by it, I didn’t know that it started out as a healing drink without tea in it (although the British influence does make sense lol).

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Sarah [Pixels & Paragraphs]'s avatar

It’s wild how much meaning gets brewed into those tiny cups without us even realizing it. The history really surprised me too! It made me love the ritual even more, even as an observer from the sidelines. Also… I totally respect the obsession 🫡

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Try to be kind's avatar

What a lovely article!! I love chai and now I have learned the history and culture behind it. My first post on here was about making authentuc chai - and has a recipe! (Perfected during the covid lockdiwn).

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Sarah [Pixels & Paragraphs]'s avatar

I love that your first post was a chai recipe—that feels like such a comforting, grounding way to begin. It’s amazing how many of us turned to rituals like that during lockdown… perfecting chai sounds like the coziest kind of survival skill.

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Try to be kind's avatar

It was for sure.

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Anjali Krishnakumar's avatar

I felt this so personal on my levels!! My love for chai also started from home. We’d make at-least 3 chai a day. And i like my chai regular and simple; a cup of good strong regular chai, not those with those modern essences and flavours of different kinds!

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Amadeus's avatar

They are doing to matcha when they did to chai... but I suppose that's the way of things.

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Stephanie Oswalt's avatar

I love this and how warmly (ha! punny!) you describe your cultural memories of chai. I learned a lot from your post about the history and cultural significance of chai. Admittedly, I do like the western version (but, I am western, and thus, raised as a sugar addict...) but I have had traditional chai as well and I love it too.

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