Storm in a teacup our love for tea

My love for anything related to tea knows no bounds, be it fancy teapots, tea strainers, the gradation of tea leaves, the dreamy rolling tea gardens, or random roadside tea stalls -- I am obsessed with the beauty and romance in it all.

There is a certain sophistication in holding a cup of tea with your pinky finger stretched and nibbling on scones, jams, and tea sandwiches at tea parties. There is a definite charm in pouring the milk tea on the saucer and slurping it up with a satisfied smack at a Dhaka tong.

The tea stall by the roadside, be it inside the city or on a random bazaar beside a highway, is a romantic place to be. Politics, sports, showbiz gossip, trending topics on social media -- everything under the Dhaka sky is discussed there. But often the moving ambience of these "tongs" -- as they are called in Bangla -- or tea shacks is missed amid the heated conversation.

A mud stove or raggedy, soot-laden steel stove is set up on a worn-out table. The shops lined with packets of cakes, biscuits, and bread baked in low-cost bakeries are hung by a nylon thread. There is invariably a hand of bananas or a stalk fully positioned at the front corner of the tiny shed.

A quick snack of a banana, a slice of bread, and a cup of sweet milk tea is a favourite of the teeming masses in Dhaka. Scores of cups of this tea are sold throughout the day. People want it in the chilly mornings, as a midday mood uplifter, they want to relax with this cup after a day's work, it is also craved at midnight to stay awake for the ones pulling an all-nighter.

While on the topic of tea, I suggest you plan a Dhakai tea party this winter sans the English tea menu. Instead, you should consider having deshi finger foods. We would rather have our soft coconut narus made with nolen gur or runny molasses for snacks and gur'er cha or jaggery tea, which is a winter joy in Dhaka.

With an irresistible caramel aroma and decadent toffee flavour with creamy notes, jaggery tea is a Bengali winter favourite. A hint of cardamom black tea leaves is boiled in milk until it releases a strong flavour. Many tea makers put cream or malai and then add the tea from the top of the cup. The gimmick adds to the flavour.

Just a footnote on tea brewing: do not use tea bags as they are made from tea dust; the real flavour and strength are in the loose tea. The earthy aroma of the tea brewing is heavenly. If you add a stick of cinnamon and a few pods of cardamom, then the brew is divine. And if you can use cow's milk instead of powdered or condensed milk. It brings out an authentic taste in the tea that is only found in the village tea stalls or on the outskirts of Dhaka but always by the roadside.