Chai all over Pakistan

 

To show you Chais (tea) all over Pakistan, there is only one guide you need, my good friend and travel photographer (also a huge tea lover like me), Danial Shah.

Danial is a regular contributor at Dawn newspaper and Express Tribune (international New York Times), an adventure seeker, wandering tirelessly around Pakistan, from the Arabian sea to the Himalayan mountains. With his permission, I am going to share some of his pictures of different chais he’s had on his travels around Pakistan. No one covers this universal love Pakistanis have for chai than him. It’s a language we all understand, every matter can be solved over a cuppa!

The reason I’m sharing  Danial’s story today instead of my own is because when you find like-minded people who share your passion it creates a sense of community. It unites us, and I’m sure you all have a similar story! so do send me pictures of how people enjoy tea in your country!

Have a good one!

 

 

 

 

 

All images are copy right © Danial shah

You can follow danial shah at:
W http://www.danialshah.com
F facebook.com/DanialShah.official
I @danialshah_

Brew it like you mean it!

Do you love tea as much as I do? Well may be I am preconditioned to love tea because in my home country (Pakistan) its like air to us and what if I told you that you maybe brewing tea wrong? So every Pakistani knows a thing or two about brewing tea. But I live in Melbourne and for the life of me I couldn’t find loose dried tea leaves at any of the big stores, Coles or Woolworths. Why is that a problem you ask? Because if you like a strong cup of tea (which I do) tea bags are just not gonna cut it. So I bought Tapal (I was feeling really homesick) tea leaves from an Indian store.

So let’s get brewing! Oh but first you need these things:

– Tea strainer
– Saucepan
– Tea leaves
– Milk
– Sugar

So here are the steps for a perfect cup of tea or as we call it, Chai:

1. Add 1 cup water to a saucepan and let it boil.
2. When the water starts boiling add 1.5 tsp tapal dried tea leaves
3. Let the leaves simmer in the water after a 1-2 minutes add milk. Now I add milk according to the colour I want, so the more you add the lighter the colour of your tea.
4. Let the mixture simmer for about 30-40 seconds
5. Switch the stove off and take the tea strainer and keep it over your cup and pour the tea into your mug and add sugar, I add 1.5 tsp of brown sugar.
6. Enjoy your perfectly brewed tea!

How do you like your tea?