One constant throughout our travels around Kerala be it at the coast or in the mountains has been the chai (tea) stalls, locally known as kada, found consistently on roadsides at predictable intervals. Most of the shops wear a run down look, prompting any health inspector to spend most of his time with his red pen out and undoubtedly condemning the place as unfit for the preparation of food and beverages.

These stalls seem to cast an overbearing spell on their visitors, which seem to overshadow any doubt of their worthiness to cater to visitors. There is no deterrent for anyone who has a thirst for a hot drop of tea. A stove is fed with wood, keeping a pot of water and milk boiling throughout the day. Next to the pot is an age-old tea strainer laden with thick, sodden tealeaves. The glasses sit up turned and ready for scalding upon request. The chai is conjured up in a series of extravagant pouring movements. The finished product is a glass of sweet frothy tea.

The 'kada' is often a small social hub of activity on an otherwise featureless stretch of road. It serves as a daily forum for debating be it cricket, the price of rubber, regional, national or international affairs- they all seem to catch the visitor’s attention with equal enthusiasm seemingly prompted by the act of consuming chai in the ambience of the kada. All issues are dissected in detail and discussed at length over chai- the stimulator of a social consciousness!

| Post a reply |