Does Chai Come from India?

The simple answer is yes. The complex yet short answer is explained below.

Chai is the Hindi term for tea. So pretty please, stop saying "chai tea".

Masala Chai is the correct term for describing "spices mixed with tea".

There are over 40 different languages in India and a lot of those languages have multiple different dialects. The language I speak is Punjabi and I was born in Punjab (India), my family migrated to Australia when I was young. My family were adamant we spoke Punjabi at home, and I'm so glad we did as I am still fluent in my mother tongue. In Punjabi we say "cha" for tea, not the commonly known "chai".

So, does chai come from India? Well, not really.

There are over 40 languages around the world, from Arabic to Serbian, that use the word "chai" or a derivative of it. So to say that chai comes from India, is fundamentally incorrect as tea does not come from just India, it comes from many countries, including Australia.

Tea is not thousands of years old in India, tea leaves actually only became popular in India due to the colonial impact of the British in the 1880's. Spices, on the other hand, have a 7,000+ year old history in India. On the other hand, it is important to note that India does have native indigenous tea called Assamica which precedes the popular tea, Camellia sinensis, that was introduced by the British from China into India.

So, where does chai come from?

I'd like to say that masala chai comes from South Asia with roots in India. A lot South Asian countries will have similarities in culture and cuisines, where chai being one of the fundamental parts of the day. This is not the chai latte or sticky chai stuff that most brands are producing or serving in western cafes. This is the traditional crushed dry blend used on the stove top brew method.

Many people from South Asian backgrounds have similar stories around migration and also language. But, there is a deep connection with spices and how they make us feel. From the special masala chai that your parents or grandparents made you when you were sick, to the home spice remedies you grew up with. These things have really deep roots in our culture and I'm so grateful to be able to share my family's masala chai blends with the world. The masala chai blends at Chai Walli are derived from my Grandfather's recipes, he was an Ayurvedic and Homeopathic doctor.

Respecting origins

There are many chai brands out there who have the following story: "I went on a trip to India/Nepal/Malaysia etc and fell in love with chai. When I got back to Australia/America/Canada/United Kingdom, I had to share my love for chai with the world and started a chai business". 

For someone like me who is deep in the art-form of trying to decolonise chai, spices and Ayurveda by bringing it back to its roots, this comes across as cultural appropriation. It's kind of like an exoticism of culture that is then monetised without any sort of cultural consultation with those whose culture it comes from. 

People of colour have been oppressed and marginalised historically for an extremely long time. Many people are taking steps towards equality of gender and culture. However, we need to understand that it's really important to continue giving people space to be able to enjoy and celebrate their culture. Migrant communities, for their first generation, are simply trying to survive. So, there are rarely opportunities to be creative with their culture given to them. It takes a lot of courage to against the grain and preserve your culture.

I urge you to look into your culture and see what things you can do to help preserve those special parts of your culture for the next generation. If we don't harness these stories, languages and art-forms, who will?

For me, our masala chai blends come from my heart. Flavours, spices and balancing these energies come natural to me and many others. It's simply a part of us.

Image: My massi ji (my mother's sister), brewing me a cup of cha in Chandigarh.