Chai is a ubiquitous drink in India. It is made across the country and is drunk both at home and at tiny tea stalls on road sides everywhere. Interestingly, this beverage that so many people associate with India was actually not consumed until the time of the British Raj. India grew a large amount of tea in areas such as Assam and Darjeeling, however the majority of Indians consumed coffee. The British East India Company became concerned as they realized they were losing a vast source of income to the Chinese, who had a virtual monopoly on tea sales. Thus, the East India Company began promoting tea to Indians. At first, the Indians were skeptical, and did not want to abandon their strongly flavored coffee. But eventually someone added strongly flavored spices to a sweet and milky tea and masala chai took off! The chai is sweet and spicy with a subtle burn at the back of the throat. It is, in a word, wonderful.
