The Fascinating ‘Kulhad Chai’

If you are in India, you will love how tea is one of the most important beverages of every Indian house. Whether some guests are coming to your home or you are planning to meet your old friends, everything seems incomplete without a cup of tea. And when we talk about tea, there is one thing that always comes to mind: the fascinating ‘Kulhad’ Chai. No doubt that today we have a new design of modern tea cups available in the market. But a kulhad cup or clay pot cup will always remain in trend no matter what.

The history of tea begins with Kulhad Chai

Whether you visit a roadside tea stall, a Dhaba, or a hi-fi tea joint, you will find Kulhad Chai everywhere. You may enjoy the tea in those fancy cups. But when you compare it with the earthly flavour that you get when sipping the tea from a kulhad, you will love the taste of chai more. Drinking tea from kulhad is not a new thing, and people have been doing it for ages. It is one of the reasons why Kulhad Chai is so famous. Let’s get to know more about the Kulhad and the fascinating Kulhad Chai.

Where does it come from?

Telling exactly when and where the tradition of serving chai in the Kulhad started will be difficult because these Kulhads or Earthen Pots have been used for more than 5000 years now. Earlier, these kulhads were being used for serving chai and were being used for other purposes. So, we cannot say when the era of the ‘Kulhad Chai’ started, but we are glad that this continues to date.

When you visit northern India, especially Uttar Pradesh or Bihar, you will find most of the tea stalls using Kulhads for serving tea. Some of the fancy tea joints have kept special Kulhad Chai in their menu. However, we cannot say that it is limited to the only northern part of India. You will find Kulhad Chai in Rajasthan, Punjab, and in some of the tea stalls of Mumbai too. So, if you have never tried sipping a hot cup of tea from Kulhad, look for a tea-seller in your city who sells Kulhad Chai and do try it.

What Do Kulhads look like?

Unlike those teacups that come in the market with handles, Kulhads are cups made using clay, and they do not have any grip to hold them. In most of the places or tea joints, you will find chai in plain kulhads only. In only fancy tea joints, you may find some designs on Kulhad; else they are unpainted and straightforward. The size of the Kulhad may vary from place to place, but they are all of the same shapes. The potters prepare them by shaping the clay and then firing the clay pots in the kiln to make them.

Why do people love the Kulhad Chai?

We already told you above that the taste of Kulhad Chai feels fantastic and different. One of the reasons is that Kulhad is earthenware, and when hot tea is being poured in Kulhad, it absorbs the tea. The taste of the clay pot somehow gets mixed with the hot tea giving it a different flavour and enhanced flavour. Also, the fresh fragrance of the clay from the Kulhad when sipping Kulhad chai makes it more interesting.

To Summarize

One must try this fascinating Kulhad Chai once in their lifetime. Even though it is not even costly, we can assure you that it shall give you a feeling out of this world. So if you are a Chai lover or not, tasting chai in Kulhad is a thing worth trying and experiencing.