The Indian rope trick may be on the wane, but there are many other lesser-known wonders that continue to enthral people in rural areas. One such is at Chanda (T) village, about three km from Adilabad district headquarter town.
The trick? Making tea in a newspaper bowl. Sk. Annu aka Annubhaiyya, a 55-year-old tea vendor at this village, makes tea in a paper bowl, only on request. He has been doing so since he was 12 when he started working as an apprentice at a hotel off the old NH 7 near Chanda stream bridge.
Here’s how Mr. Annu does it. He folds a 6X6 inch piece of newspaper with four acacia thorns holding the folds at four corners making it into a bowl. “Only acacia thorns can be used as they hold the folds together making them airtight so that the fire does not burn the paper,” says the chaiwallah revealing his technique.
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He pours about 60 ml of milk and the required quantity of tea powder and sugar in the bowl. He uses the common air blower used in small tea vends in villages, but blows air from mouth to keep the coals burning. The paper remains untouched by the flames and after a few minutes later, the tea begins to boil. You have your half cup of tea, called a ‘cut’ locally, in five minutes flat with the paper bowl intact except for some that sag due to the liquid. “The milk makes the bowl wet enough to prevent the flames from reducing it to ashes though the temperature of the burning charcoal is quite high,” says Mr. Annu. “Only about 60 ml to 70 ml of tea can be concocted through this method,” he says of its limitation.
“I have demonstrated this trick only as part of entertainment or made tea on being specifically ordered to do so. No money in it,” he quipped, a broad smile gracing his face that was bathed in sweat after the five-minute exercise.