1 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Saber production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: I'm Annie Reese and I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and today we 3 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 1: have an episode for you about Massali Chai. M hm 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: m hmmm. I am excited and nervous about this one. Yeah, 5 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: this one is very very very large and unwieldy, UM, 6 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: because it touches on on so many it's one of 7 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: those products, or not products. It's not a dish, it's 8 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: it's one of those things. It's one of those things 9 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: that we humans have created and consumed. UM. That really 10 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: represents a bringing together of a whole bunch of different 11 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: cultural histories. Um. And also it came together in a 12 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,639 Speaker 1: place that I am not from, neither of us are from, 13 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: and uh did not personally grow up with. And so 14 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: you know, like we're we did a whole lot of 15 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: reading and we hope that we don't mess it up. Yes, 16 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: as always, but you know, listeners, we love hearing your 17 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: feedback and input, especially if you're from these areas, because 18 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 1: it just gives so much context understanding, and we love 19 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: that we can read it in a listener mail segment 20 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: and we would love it so. Yes, I always put 21 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: that out there was there any particular reason this was 22 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: on your mind. I think I think it's been on 23 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: our list for a very long time, and I got 24 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 1: really confident a couple of weeks ago, and I was like, 25 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: I was like, you know, let's do some of these 26 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: difficult ones that have been on our list for a 27 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:44,960 Speaker 1: really long time. Like we're up to it, Like we 28 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: can do it, not thinking about the fact that the 29 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: next couple of weeks, these past couple of weeks, we're 30 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: going to be bonkers. Um do they were and continue 31 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: to be? Yeah, So I I have no one to 32 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: blame but myself. However, I'm glad that we're doing it 33 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: because I A I love Massala chi Um, and B 34 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: it has been so interesting trying to to to tease 35 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: out the important details in these readings. Yes, Um, I 36 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: also love Massalichai. But as I've mentioned in previous episodes, 37 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: I'm not allergic to tea, but I have some intolerance 38 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: or something where essentially, to me, it feels like when 39 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: I drink tea that I am a desiccated sponge who 40 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: has been left out on the beach and I'm out 41 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: of reach of water and I'm just about to crumble. Basically, 42 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: I get like really dry mouth and nauseous. I guess yeah, 43 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: I and right, and you do kind of the same 44 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: thing with mint, right, I do. So it sounds like 45 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: some kind of like tannin sensitivity or something. I believe 46 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: that's what the Internet tells me. I also, as I've 47 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: mentioned previously, think that I just oversteep tea and I 48 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: think I could have some tease if I didn't oversteep them. Yeah, 49 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,079 Speaker 1: it's really only like three minutes, especially for a lot 50 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: of black teas, so which is my favorite. I love 51 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,679 Speaker 1: black tea, and also you enjoy the flavor. You just 52 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: don't Yes, oh I love Um, I can't, but it's 53 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: like it feels like I can't swallow. And eventually my 54 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: friends kind of had an intervention. You've got to stop 55 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: doing this for yourself. Also, you've got to get rid 56 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: of mint. And in fact, recently, i'm my birthday, somebody 57 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: bought me a cocktail and it came with mint, and 58 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: she was like absolutely not fine, no, no, no, no, no, 59 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: I'm not having this. Um, but I did. I loved 60 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: and still love just feel like I can't drink massala chai. 61 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: And when I was in college ledge I had a 62 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: friend who knew I loved it, and we were in 63 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: a college organization and you know, pulling those all nighters 64 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: or whatever. She would always get me one. And because 65 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: it was like her tree and she was so excited 66 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: about it, I felt like I couldn't tell her, you know, 67 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: I don't know why. Yeah, And it was like such 68 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: a difficult conversation for me to eventually face hers, one 69 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: of those like social interactions that shouldn't have been that stressful. 70 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: It's like I've got to build myself up and tell 71 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: her this whole time, I've really appreciated it, I loved it, 72 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:38,840 Speaker 1: but I can't do it anymore. I got to stop 73 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: m and she did, and she didn't care because she 74 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: was a human person who was my friends. So she 75 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: was like, okay, yeah, of course she was like, oh 76 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 1: my bad, I cool. Huh yeah. Um. So you can 77 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: see our episode on I would say bober te um 78 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: horge chata a little bit, okay, yeah, And then our 79 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: episode on tea time that we did with Dr Julius Skinner, 80 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: who has a book coming out called Our Fermented Lives. Yeah, yes, oh, 81 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: always always delightful to catch up with with Julia and 82 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: um oh yeah, and our fermented lives. Sounds like it's 83 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 1: going to be incredible, super looking forward to that. Um, 84 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 1: we have to have our back on the show at 85 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 1: some point, okay um. Also for a bit more on 86 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 1: related families of spice blends. Um, perhaps our episode on 87 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: Tika Masala or our interview with mir Jan or Ronnie 88 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: Yes from our Asheville series. Yeah, m hmmm, who is 89 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 1: going to come back up? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah he is. Uh. 90 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 1: He is a chef in the proprietor of restaurants like 91 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: Chaipani and Boda Walla. Yes, m m mmmm, Well, I 92 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: guess the spring says to question, massalichi what is it? Well, uh, 93 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 1: massali schi is a tea brood with a blend of 94 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: warming spices, often served hot and with milk and sweetener added. 95 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: The tea is usually a strong black variety. The spices 96 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: can include cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger uh and 97 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: other stuff. The milk is usually cow milk, the sweetener 98 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 1: usually white granulated sugar. But that being said, massalii just 99 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: means tea with a spice blend added. Um. And it's 100 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: one of those things where like the exact recipe varies 101 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: from region to neighborhood to household to personal preference. UM. 102 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: And that is in places where this is a traditional drink. UM. 103 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: The meaning has expanded pretty wildly around the world. But 104 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:06,239 Speaker 1: that base of spiced tea is so flavorful and creamy 105 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: and warming and comforting but like also invigorating. Um. It's 106 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: the same feeling you get from like a really good 107 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: conversation where maybe the perspectives or personal reference points of 108 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: everyone going in are different, but it just flows and 109 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: leaves see you feeling recharged. Yeah, okay, Laura, that's a 110 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: great description. It's like a meshing of things. Yeah, comforting things. Yeah, 111 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: I mean it literally is that too? Getting into that 112 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: in the history section, but okay, yes, so um, so 113 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 1: let's break all of this down a little bit. Your tea, UM, 114 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: it can be loose leaf or powdered or bagged um. 115 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: A sum, which is a strong black variety is common. Um. 116 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: But you can also find green teas being used for 117 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: massala chi and Kashmir for example, or you know, like 118 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: pre bagged blends with Oolong and American tea shops or whatever. Uh. 119 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: Your spices can be whole or ground, toasted or not toasted. Uh. 120 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: The ginger can be fresh, grated or dry ground. Although 121 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: a note here, UM, if you're going to create fresh 122 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: ginger into your massala chie, do not add it to 123 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: cold milk. Um. That's because fresh ginger contains curdling enzymes 124 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: or enzymes that will curdle. I don't think that's there, 125 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: like their specific purpose in nature, But they do that, UMU, 126 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:35,559 Speaker 1: and they d nature or stop working. M above like 127 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: seventy degrees celsius and or a hundred and sixty degrees fahrenheit. 128 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: So either add fresh ginger to the steeping water with 129 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: time to come to temperature before you add your milk, 130 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,439 Speaker 1: or after you've added the milk and let it come 131 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: to temperature, or you drug ground ginger. I can't tell 132 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 1: you what to do. True. In addition to the sort 133 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: of base level stuff that I mentioned at the top 134 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: of this section, you know cardamom and cloves and cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, 135 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: black pepper, um. You might have mint, tulsi, phennel, star 136 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: a nie, white peppercorn, rose petals, lemon, grass or saffron 137 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:17,839 Speaker 1: in there or other things. Um. And because you are 138 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: using a bunch of strongly flavored elements, chi massala blends 139 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: um that missologist means a spice blend. Chi again means 140 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 1: tea um chi Massala. Blends can be a little tricky 141 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: to balance correctly um or to balance to taste, and 142 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: are therefore sometimes family secrets. Ah, you know, we love that. 143 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: Uh your milk. Most modern recipes that I've read call 144 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,959 Speaker 1: for whole dairy milk cow milk, because that's become the 145 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: most available in most places. But use whatever you like 146 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 1: and use it in whatever proportion you like. To the water, 147 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: maybe you don't use any water. I don't know, I know, right. Uh. 148 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: Sweetener choice is similar Again, it's usually white sugar, but 149 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 1: people use whatever type in whatever proportion. Preferences range from 150 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,200 Speaker 1: like a super creamy and sweet like lots of milk, 151 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: lots of sugar like almost a liquid dessert situation, to 152 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:23,839 Speaker 1: something um like lighter, focusing more on the tea and 153 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: or the spices. Generally, in order to make masalachi, the 154 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: recommendation is to simmer your tea and spices in water 155 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 1: on the stove, um, and then add the milk and 156 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: sweetener and bring everything to temperature and serve it hot 157 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: like no matter what the weather is like outside. Um. 158 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:47,199 Speaker 1: But again, recipes and preferences and practices do vary. It 159 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: might be made by the pot at home, or ladled 160 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,199 Speaker 1: out of a larger vat at shops or stands, or 161 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: served by the cup in restaurants. But yes, you can 162 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: buy prepackaged tea bags that contain the spices. Uh. You 163 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: can find uh pre made liquid mixtures like concentrates that 164 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: you either reconstitute with water or milk. Maybe you just 165 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: drink it straight. I don't know your life. Um. It 166 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:17,199 Speaker 1: can be served iced or like blended with ice, or 167 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 1: with a shot of espresso in it, or like doused 168 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: in vanilla syrup. Uh, however you drink it, though, it 169 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 1: sounds real silly when you call it chi tea because 170 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: chi means tea. Mm hmm. Try try not to do that. Yeah, 171 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 1: let that sink in for a moment. Yes, chi means tea. 172 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: You're if you say chi te you're saying t t Yeah. 173 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: Which yeah, different thing. Well what about the nutrition? Oh, 174 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: it depends so much on how you make it? Um, 175 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: you know as always, Um, sugar is a treat. Treats 176 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,079 Speaker 1: are nice. Um. You know you can you can have 177 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:04,319 Speaker 1: a good uh, a good caloric punch, um fat and 178 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:06,559 Speaker 1: a little bit of protein from the dairy that you 179 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: put in there. That's that's nice. It is t T 180 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: has been investigated for for many different potential effects. We're 181 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: not really going into that today, no, mm hmm not. 182 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: I do have some numbers for you, okay. Um. Tracking 183 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 1: down like the global consumption of massalichi specifically is a 184 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,319 Speaker 1: little bit difficult, um because a in many places it 185 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: is such a homemade thing, like people are assembling the 186 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: ingredients and making it by the pot in their own house. 187 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 1: Um so so on that level, I can't really tell 188 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 1: you how much massalachi is consumed around the world. Um. 189 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: But the numbers that I have for you are from 190 00:12:54,240 --> 00:13:00,120 Speaker 1: a heck and Guinness record. Okay, the Guinness record were 191 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: the largest cup of massalaschi or karak shai karachi um 192 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: as it's called in Dubai where this cup was made. Um. 193 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: The record is from and okay, it was five thousand 194 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: liters of tea. No, that's like one thousand, three hundred 195 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: and twenty gallons um Uh. It was prepared by a 196 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty eight chefs working at seventy stations starting 197 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:39,839 Speaker 1: at nine in the morning one day, producing batches that 198 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: were added to this cup that was three point seven 199 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: meters tall, that's twelve feet tall. Um. The cup had 200 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 1: a heating coil inside to keep the mixed warm. Um. 201 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 1: And if you want to know how much chai and 202 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: how much massalah went into this um all right, it 203 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 1: was a hundred and fifty five kilos of tea powder, 204 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: three hundred kilos of milk powder, three hundred and eighty 205 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 1: kilos of sugar, hundred and fifty five kilos of ginger, 206 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: forty seven kilos each of cinnamon sticks and carnamon powder, 207 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: and seven point five kilos of cloves. I just can't 208 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: fathom it more. I can't fathom. It's a lot. It's 209 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: uh that I can agree with you. It's a lot 210 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 1: that is that is like like like a hot tub 211 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: to swimming pool size massala chi. What a world out there? 212 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: You know? My goodness? Well, um, let me shake this 213 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: as mentioned our friend or I like I'll call him friend. Yeah. 214 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: Chef Marijuan Rani, the founder and executive chef at Chipani 215 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: Restaurant Group, who also offers multiple chai seasonings under the 216 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: Spicewalla brand. He said for Indians, drinking chai is rarely 217 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 1: a solitary event. It's an act something you do with others, 218 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: a moment enhancer with friends, or shared experience with strangers. 219 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 1: It's a catchphrase to denote classic Indian hospitality. It's slang 220 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 1: for a quick snack and also means a small briber tip, 221 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: just enough to cover the cost of a snack and 222 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: a cup of chi. I could think of no more 223 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: perfect name than this. Oh huh, that's such a great quote. 224 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: Oh that's lovely. Heck, I miss that guy. What a 225 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: good guy. What a good guy. And the Spicewalla you 226 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 1: can yeah, you can find these chai mixes on their 227 00:15:55,920 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 1: recommend Oh. Absolutely, Yeah. Spicewalla is a really good resource, 228 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 1: not a sponsor, just humans who we like, um, doing 229 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: good stuff. Yeah. They They've got a whole bunch of 230 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: different massala uh spice blends and for all kinds of 231 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: different purposes into different tastes and so yeah, it's it's 232 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: super fun. You can order stuff online from them. Check 233 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: them out. Spice Walla. Yeah, spice Walla. Well, we've got 234 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: quite a bit of history to go through. Oh my heck, 235 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: we do um and we are going to get into 236 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: that as soon as we get back from a quick 237 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: break forward from our sponsors and we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, 238 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 1: thank you, so yeah. Legends abound about the origins of 239 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: massala chi. Yes. One popular one is that it was 240 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: invented five thousand years ago by a king and what 241 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: is now India. Historically it has been used medicinally. Um. 242 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: And this may have been how it starts. Did herbs 243 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: and spices with believed healing properties like cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, ginger, 244 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: and cloves, seeped in water and served either hot or cold. 245 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:14,880 Speaker 1: Legend has it that the king would drink this tea 246 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: to stay alert on long days in court, and that 247 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: it may have been offered to guess. But that word 248 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: t is kind of in scare quotes right here, right 249 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: because in these early days, the predecessors to missoloch I 250 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 1: didn't contain any caffeine because they didn't have any tea leaves. Yeah, um, 251 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 1: region to region. Um. And remember that India is a 252 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:41,440 Speaker 1: very large multicultural place. Um. Uh. What went into these 253 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 1: semi medicinal drinks varied, of course, um. You know. The 254 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: base might be just herbs or maybe fermented millet or 255 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: rice or lentils. The spices differed and where water, buffalo 256 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 1: or cow milk was available. It might be added, I 257 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,440 Speaker 1: think the terms for these brewis are in the north 258 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 1: kada um and in the south um kasha yam or kashia. Yeah, yes, yeah, um. 259 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:11,879 Speaker 1: And that is not to say that there was not 260 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 1: tea growing in India then, um, right, because it grew 261 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:19,199 Speaker 1: in the wild in some parts of India, and as 262 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 1: early as the twelfth century, indigenous people's drink tea made 263 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:27,119 Speaker 1: from wild leaves for the health benefits and the energy um. 264 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:30,119 Speaker 1: Frequently the dry and toasted tea leaves would be packed 265 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:34,240 Speaker 1: into a bamboo cane and then smoked. UM. Later, a 266 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: few records indicate that people drink tea in cities that 267 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 1: did a lot of trade with Europe, the Middle East 268 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:43,440 Speaker 1: and China. Makes sense, um. An English traveler to India 269 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 1: wrote in nine that people drink it quote with some 270 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: hot spice, with sugar candy, or by the more curious, 271 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: with some conserved lemons. It sounds delightful. I know that 272 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,440 Speaker 1: sounds so good. I like I like a I like 273 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 1: a concern lemon, I like lemon and tea. Okay, Well, anyway, 274 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: you're coming out strong. I know people have strong preferences 275 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: about tea and lemon and anything to do with tea. 276 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 1: I like it. I like it by the ways. I 277 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:13,640 Speaker 1: like it with tea. I like I like it with tea. 278 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 1: I like my tea with tea. Good sentence, Lauren, Um, 279 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: I like with lemon, I like it with cream. I 280 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:24,200 Speaker 1: I am picky, but not about that. I love. I 281 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 1: like my tea with tea, is what I'm going to 282 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: say from now on. I don't know. I like my 283 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: tea with tea, but not overly steeped. Okay. So black 284 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,479 Speaker 1: tea didn't find its way into Masoli Chai until British 285 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: colonizers arrived to India sometime in the eighteen thirties. At 286 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:45,880 Speaker 1: the time, the British already had a love of tea, 287 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: which we did talk about in Julia's episode she did 288 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: about tea time UM. Britain consumed a whopping forty million 289 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 1: pounds per year of tea, but China pretty much held 290 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: a monopoly on its production at this time UM and 291 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 1: when the Chinese raised prices on t the British decided 292 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: they needed to control their own supply and established the 293 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: first tea plantation in India in eighteen thirty two. This 294 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: was the first of many with Europeans, Indians, and indigenous 295 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 1: peoples from this region competing to control the tea industry 296 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,480 Speaker 1: in India. The explosion in this industry was so great 297 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 1: that it was a struggle to find workers and outsiders, 298 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,879 Speaker 1: especially hired migrant workers, many of whom were trapped by 299 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:33,919 Speaker 1: disease or debt, while the indigenous folks revolted. The mortality 300 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: rate on these plantations neared fifty percent. Yeah. Part of 301 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 1: what was fueling the creation and conditions of these plantations 302 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:48,399 Speaker 1: was the fact that the British Empire outlawed slavery in 303 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:52,440 Speaker 1: the eighteen thirties, which sounds great, but it led to 304 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:58,880 Speaker 1: UH these these alternate places and ways to exploit workers. UM. 305 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 1: It also led to the talking about about migrant workers. 306 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: It led to the migration of a lot of Indian 307 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: workers to other places in the world. That's like sort 308 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:15,800 Speaker 1: of different episodes, mostly UM because one of the effects 309 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 1: that might have had was to have UM strengthened, like 310 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 1: the multicultural inclusion of specific spices into massala um for example, 311 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 1: in Chaia Massala cinnamon um from Sri Lanka, which is 312 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 1: one of those places that saw a lot of Indian migration. Yes, 313 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: and we have an episode on cinnamon Yeah, where we 314 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: talked about that a little bit, so we can check 315 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:45,440 Speaker 1: that out. Um. The British stoked tea production and consumption 316 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: in the nineteen hundreds in India in part because of 317 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:52,719 Speaker 1: the British established Indian Tea Association. Thanks to these efforts, 318 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 1: t did grow in popularity in India and um it 319 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:00,080 Speaker 1: was one of their top exports at the time. How For, 320 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: tea was still fairly expensive there. Um it was linked 321 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:08,640 Speaker 1: with acceptance of the British and wasn't widely drank across India. UM. 322 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 1: People who did drink it were in the Indian upper 323 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: class UH, serving it in these like special specialty tea 324 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:20,959 Speaker 1: wears with milk and sugar. To counter that, the Association UH, 325 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:25,639 Speaker 1: the Indian Tea Association Forever now known as the Association UH, 326 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:30,680 Speaker 1: launched marketing campaigns across the country that painted these beautiful 327 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: pictures of tea drinking, coupled with tips on how to brew. 328 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: The Association pressured places like textile mills and factories to 329 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: introduce a tea time where discounted tea was made available 330 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:48,120 Speaker 1: for sale. UM. Side note, we are experiencing a little 331 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: bit of thunderstorm activity here in Atlanta during this recording session. UM. 332 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,200 Speaker 1: So if you heard a giant peel of thunder when 333 00:22:56,240 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 1: Annie started talking about the Indian Tea Association and we 334 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,879 Speaker 1: didn't add that, I'm not going to say it's inappropriate. 335 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 1: It felt right. It felt right, UM, And that was 336 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: just nature chiming in um at any rate, okay um. Yes, 337 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: so all of this was going on and and then UM, 338 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:21,679 Speaker 1: sometime around or perhaps just after World War One, UM, 339 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 1: chai Wala's, the people who were selling um this tea 340 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: from from kind of like like like that sort of 341 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 1: situations UM, around places like like mills and factories, chai 342 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:42,680 Speaker 1: Wala's began adding massala to their teas. Yes. Um. And 343 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: this was in part inspired by a drink of milk 344 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: flavored with massal spices, popular as an after breakfast beverage 345 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: in two states of India where UM quality spices and 346 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 1: quality milks were available. Yeah, and also those right those 347 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: other uh quasi medicinal beverages that we're talking about earlier. Um. 348 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: It was also inspired by the fact that, like the 349 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: tea that the Indian Tea Association was pushing wasn't all 350 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: that high quality, especially early on in the campaign. It 351 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: took it took um plantations there a minute to UM 352 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 1: to kind of catch up to Chinese technology for for 353 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: processing tea in a way that the British found acceptable. Um. 354 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:28,639 Speaker 1: And of course what they were giving out to the 355 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:30,920 Speaker 1: general Indian population was not going to be as high 356 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 1: quality as what they were saving for themselves. UM. So 357 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 1: it was a complicated process to arrive at massolid shi 358 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:42,719 Speaker 1: as we know it um. Like at first, the association 359 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 1: also didn't really approve of the adding of spices because 360 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,680 Speaker 1: they were afraid that it would prompt people to use 361 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: less tea leaves in their blends. And you know, they 362 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:55,439 Speaker 1: were trying to push those tea leaves. Um. They were 363 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 1: also trying to push British culture and this was kind 364 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: of anti British um. So yeah, it was really really 365 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:08,199 Speaker 1: a push and pull among these different cultural and uh 366 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: financial influences in the area. Yeah. UM. Also a note 367 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:20,440 Speaker 1: on milk here. Um. Although there were like a lot 368 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:24,159 Speaker 1: of water buffalo and cattle around various parts of India, 369 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: always um and milk and other dairy products were consumed 370 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,639 Speaker 1: locally where available. There wasn't really like a formalized dairy 371 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:37,880 Speaker 1: industry until the nineteen hundreds UM, starting with push from 372 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: British colonists during World War One and leading through what 373 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 1: is legitimately named Operation Flood in the nineteen seventies UM, 374 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 1: which transformed India into the largest dairy producer in the world. UM. 375 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,239 Speaker 1: This is also all very complicated, UM, and it's right 376 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: important to remember that India is like big UM and multicultural. 377 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: But suffice it to say that during the nineteen hundreds, 378 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:08,760 Speaker 1: availability of milk four products like massalchi boomed, right. But 379 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 1: then UM, there was a great depression in the nineteen 380 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: thirties that coincided happened to coincide with this like huge 381 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 1: yield among tea plantations in India. UH. Sales of tea 382 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 1: in Britain and the US and Europe at large dropped precipitously. 383 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 1: So to increase tea consumption, the Tea Board launched a 384 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:36,359 Speaker 1: massive marketing campaign to get more people across all demographics 385 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: to drink tea in India. UM salesman traveled across the 386 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:44,920 Speaker 1: country promoting tea, held public demonstrations. UH. They advertised it 387 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 1: as healthy and energizing, this alternative to alcohol that people 388 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 1: could drink yeah yeah. Uh. Meanwhile, at the same time 389 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: that the depression hit um, technological innovation in tea production 390 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:04,199 Speaker 1: was developed in assam Um. It's called cut tear curl um. 391 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: This is a mechanized process that creates a really fine 392 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: grind of tea leaves um that can be used to 393 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:17,719 Speaker 1: brew a strong tea quickly. Mm hmmm uh and then uh. 394 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 1: India's relationship with tea grew increasingly complicated during the thirties 395 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 1: and forties as the calls for independence grew louder. Hotma 396 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: Gandhi urged citizens of India to boycott British products, even 397 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: specifically calling out tea plantations and the indentured labor and 398 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 1: minimal wages that they relied on. Um. Many tea workers 399 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: went on strike or abandoned the industry altogether. Tea advertisers 400 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:46,199 Speaker 1: fought back in attempts to co opt the independence movement, 401 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: swapping out imagery around colonialism with messaging around nationalism, painting 402 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:55,439 Speaker 1: tea as a beverage of Indian national identity and unity. 403 00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 1: In fact, when India declared independence from Britain in n 404 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 1: several tea marketers released a statement claiming that tea was 405 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:08,240 Speaker 1: a unifying drink for India and tea plantations largely sold 406 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:13,680 Speaker 1: to Indian owners. They were really leaning into this. Oh 407 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:19,440 Speaker 1: yeah yeah. Um. Also yeah, the the the history of 408 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: indentured labor on tea plantations um uh in Indian, perhaps 409 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:28,760 Speaker 1: especially in a psalm, has had effects that ripple through 410 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:32,480 Speaker 1: to labor practices today. Um. In the past few years, 411 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: there have been strikes. It's it's a whole thing. Uh. 412 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:39,719 Speaker 1: That's a little bit outside the scope of this episode, right. Um. 413 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 1: In the nineteen sixties, massolo chi became even more affordable 414 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 1: with the invention of a mechanized tea production system. Yeah. 415 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: This was an industrialized version of the CTC production process, 416 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 1: allowing it to scale up just a whole bunch. And 417 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: as missolo Chi became more accessible in India, people experimented 418 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 1: with all sorts of recipes and methods, mixing up the 419 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 1: type of milk use, the type of tea, the spices, 420 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: the sweeteners. All over the country, tea shop owners called 421 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: chai wallas yes open to businesses in places like train 422 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 1: stations and began brewing the drink in large amounts, selling 423 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:19,440 Speaker 1: it in these clay pots. And it didn't take long 424 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: for these establishments to solidify their importance as social meeting places, 425 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: and then yeah, misologized popularity grew and spread the world over. 426 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: This this partially aligns with patterns of immigration out of 427 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 1: India and Pakistan and what's now Bangladesh. Um that increased 428 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: in a few waves across the nineteen hundreds, starting with 429 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:45,479 Speaker 1: independence and separation in the late nineteen forties, right um 430 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 1: increasing again in the late nineteen sixties with a bunch 431 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:51,280 Speaker 1: of political changes that we're going on and continuing through 432 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: to today. It also dovetails with the American interest in 433 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: certain aspects of South Asia culture, especially in like the 434 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:06,400 Speaker 1: sixties and seventies with the development of um Ashram and 435 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 1: yoga practices and stuff like that. Here in the States 436 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 1: mm hmm uh. The first American company selling prepared massala 437 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 1: chai was out of Santa Cruz, California in eight and 438 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 1: it was called the Massala Chai Company mm hmmm. And 439 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: then later in the US Massala and spiced was dropped 440 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: from the name, with many vendors just calling it chai 441 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: or chi t uh huh uh. Further, Americanized chis might 442 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 1: be made with syrups or non dairy milks, or often 443 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: a pre sweetened concentrate that is then added to steamed milk. Yeah. 444 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: One big influencer there is the brand Oregon Chai UM, 445 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 1: which makes yeah, concentrates and powdered mixes. UM. They opened 446 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: shop in and their line includes stuff like vanilla chai 447 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: and salted caramel chai and perhaps most confusingly, spiced chi uh. 448 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 1: But yeah, these these are all these are all blends 449 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:15,760 Speaker 1: that they offer that are called chi te lattes. Okay, 450 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: all right. And then also looking at you Starbucks, which 451 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 1: did really popularize chai here in the U s. And 452 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 1: they you can find plenty of articles, but definitely the 453 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 1: like concentrated syrup. Oh yeah, a very very big thing here. Yeah. 454 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 1: But right, if you weren't around for all of this, 455 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:41,960 Speaker 1: or if or if you weren't paying attention, which is fair, 456 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:45,000 Speaker 1: um uh, it was, it was a whole thing. It 457 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: was this really wild boom. Like this article that I 458 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 1: found from in South Florida's Sun Sentinel newspaper said, quote, 459 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:58,880 Speaker 1: shai is suddenly the hottest sip in America. UM. At 460 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 1: that time, the owner of Massala Chai Company told the 461 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: Sun Sentinel, up, the market for chai has gone berserk. 462 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: We had a market share ten years ago and now 463 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 1: we have ten to fifteen percent, but our business is 464 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 1: four times as big. Wow yeah, massive growth, massive growth. Right. Um. 465 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:24,240 Speaker 1: Then I couldn't find any data about it, but I 466 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: would say anecdotally that two thousand eight UM Film Awards 467 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: studded film Slum Dog Millionaire, which is a British made 468 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: movie about this poor chai wala dude working in an 469 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: Indian call center. UM, winning the Indian equivalent of Who 470 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: Wants to Be a Millionaire? UM, got very popular. Um. 471 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:50,240 Speaker 1: It brought like a bit more global attention to massala 472 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 1: chai and shi culture. Mum and yeah, the for better 473 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:01,720 Speaker 1: or worse. I guess that shai latte scare quotes trend 474 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:06,320 Speaker 1: um of like ready to drink beverages containing spiced tea, 475 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 1: sugar and some kind of creamy element has really gone global. Um. 476 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:15,520 Speaker 1: Around twenty fifteen, shy Latte's went pretty big in Europe, 477 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 1: I guess specifically in Germany. I listeners right in if 478 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:24,720 Speaker 1: you have personal experience with those, yes, yes, um, any 479 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:29,200 Speaker 1: and all of this, yeah, yeah, because I would love 480 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: to know. I would just love to know what's going 481 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 1: on in the rest of the world. Yeah, always, always, 482 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 1: always right. It's um. It's always so I mean and 483 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 1: I and I love looking into um dishes and products 484 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:46,360 Speaker 1: and drinks like this that that right are from this 485 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:50,120 Speaker 1: very specific blending of cultures in this very specific time 486 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 1: and place, um, that have gone so big and gotten 487 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 1: so different. And you know that like have been like 488 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:59,840 Speaker 1: a normal daily part of people's lives now for a 489 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 1: century or so, but that are just being extrapolated upon 490 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:10,360 Speaker 1: in infinite ways outside of the right. Um, and this 491 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: is weird culture. It's weird. Humans are weird. What's up 492 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 1: with that? What's up with that? Is a different podcast, 493 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:23,879 Speaker 1: not for us today, but you know, I think that's 494 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: what we have to say about Missolichi now. It is UM. 495 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,560 Speaker 1: We do have some listener mail for you though, and 496 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 1: we are going to get into that as soon as 497 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:33,879 Speaker 1: we get back from another quick break for a word 498 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 1: from our sponsors. And we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, 499 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:54,279 Speaker 1: thank you, and we're back with I always felt like 500 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:58,439 Speaker 1: massolitch I was like warm, like sitting around a warm 501 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:04,839 Speaker 1: fire with good friends. Yeah. Yeah, it's like it's it's 502 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:06,880 Speaker 1: like a it's like a hug that that that doesn't 503 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:08,560 Speaker 1: like calm me down. It kind of like perks you 504 00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:13,320 Speaker 1: up exactly exactly it m M, well, I hope that 505 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:19,880 Speaker 1: came through musically. Yeah, that yes, that's what I was 506 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 1: trying to capture. Heck, yeah, neither of us are musicians. 507 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:28,960 Speaker 1: I don't know if you could tell. I played some instruments, 508 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:35,960 Speaker 1: but yeah, chorus wise, no, no, definitely, Tyler wrote. So 509 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:38,719 Speaker 1: I listened to the baked beans episode. When I listened 510 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 1: to it, I just had to tell you about my 511 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:45,879 Speaker 1: beans experience. Oh no, my mom bought some bushes, maple 512 00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:49,279 Speaker 1: and cured bacon beans. It was a roough time. My 513 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:52,880 Speaker 1: mom and I were tooting like crazy, more so than 514 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:57,160 Speaker 1: with regular baked beans. I even boasted on Facebook as 515 00:35:57,239 --> 00:36:00,719 Speaker 1: a warning to my friends about these beans. They were good, 516 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:07,520 Speaker 1: but the tooting was not fun. Oh heck, I love 517 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:12,080 Speaker 1: your annunciation there, Annie, that was really good. Tooting is 518 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:17,839 Speaker 1: such a fun word. It's comical immediately, Yeah, it's it's 519 00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:22,840 Speaker 1: very evocative goodness. Uh yeah, you never know what's some 520 00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 1: with some packaged products. You know, there's just I like, 521 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: you know, you've got to make notes of these things 522 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:37,200 Speaker 1: you do, you do for future reference in other people. Absolutely, um, 523 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:39,680 Speaker 1: I mean that dog in the marketing is real cute. 524 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:46,399 Speaker 1: But you know, but behind the cuteness of chaos, so much, 525 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 1: so much much tooting goodness. M Victoria wrote, here are 526 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,480 Speaker 1: some pictures of sure bit bowls I got from my 527 00:36:56,560 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 1: mom when she downsized her dinnerware collection. I'm currently enjoying 528 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:02,960 Speaker 1: snow cones in them and have made wild blueberry syrup, 529 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:06,800 Speaker 1: pomegranate syrup, lemon syrup, and mango syrup to which I 530 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:09,680 Speaker 1: can have by themselves or mix up the flavors. The 531 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:16,799 Speaker 1: photo has pomegranate and mango. It looks beautiful. Ah Mm hmm. 532 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:21,320 Speaker 1: That's that's delightful. I love you got all these syrups 533 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:26,799 Speaker 1: mix and match and also sherbet bowls, dedicated sherbet bowls. Yeah, 534 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:30,440 Speaker 1: and I love I love like a solid um uh 535 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 1: vintage table where situation UM agreed. Yeah yeah, lovely all around, 536 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:46,160 Speaker 1: lovely all around. Which thanks to both of these listeners 537 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:49,080 Speaker 1: for writing in um. If you would like to write 538 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:51,319 Speaker 1: to us that you can. Our email is Hello at 539 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:53,879 Speaker 1: sabor pod dot com. We are also on social media. 540 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 541 00:37:57,320 --> 00:37:59,040 Speaker 1: saber pod and we do hope to hear from you. 542 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:01,759 Speaker 1: Savor It is production of I Heart Radio for more 543 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:03,880 Speaker 1: podcasts from my Heart Radio. You can visit the I 544 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:07,200 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 545 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:10,640 Speaker 1: your favorite shows. Thanks as always to our superproducers Dylan 546 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:13,080 Speaker 1: Fagin and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and 547 00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:15,080 Speaker 1: we hope that lots more good things are coming your way.