Every evening, driving down the picturesque Tenneti Park lane along with other food trucks is the Irani Chai van. Once it finds a spot and is parked, its owner G Ram Babu balances trays of cups and saucers to serve creamy tea to the crowd gathered around.
“We easily serve over 200 cups of tea a day,” he says. Ram Babu says he learnt the perfect recipe for Irani chai tea from a tea-maker from Kerala when he shifted to the city from Vijayawada.
A few months later, he and his business partner Ram Das opened a tea van. Irani chai is not new to the city. More than a decade ago the city got a taste of its first cup at a stall near Macca Masjid, Jagadamba Junction. Shortly after it became popular, another one came up at RTC Complex.
VISAKHAPATNAM, ANDHRA PRADESH, 27/08/2018: Irani tea maker near Tenneti park in Visakhapatnam on August 27, 2018. Photo: K.R.Deepak
A rich heritage
These chai stalls have a fierce fan following and have survived the onslaught of fancier cafes. Now, there are stalls at every nook and corner of the city that pride themselves in the well-brewed cup of tea. The origin of Irani chai dates back to the time when Persian immigrants came to Mumbai for trade. They moved from the West coast to Hyderabad and brought the Irani chai along with them which eventually found its way to Visakhapatnam.
It is not that simple to make Irani chai insists Ram Babu as he keeps a close eye on the copper vessel that is bubbling over the burner in his van. It takes expertise to keep the taste consistent, he says with pride. According to him, few Irani chai stalls serve the real flavour. “Not everyone prepares it the right way. The procedure is elaborate and time-taking, ” he says.
The making process
The entire process takes a good two-three hours. The flavours of the tea dust come out strongly while it is boiled in a covered copper vessel . “We add a bit of jaggery, few dried dates and sugar to it, before it is heated,” reveals Ram Babu. After a couple of hours the concoction is transferred to a smaller copper container. It is then mixed with milk and served. He makes 20 litres of decoction every day. “We have a steady customer base of around 1,000 people – from all walks of life,” says Ram Babu.
Ram Babu worked at a tea stall in Vijayawada for 10 years where he made the dum chai. “This is different than Irani chai,” he points out. Firstly, the tea leaves used in dum chai are different. “While the preparation procedure for both is almost similar, the dum chai decoction is lighter and is served with less milk. In contrast, the Irani chai has a stronger flavour.”
Served in a white ceramic cup with a saucer underneath, the chai is perfect when paired with an Osmania biscuit or two. Despite the fact that there are about six other Irani chai stalls along the two kilometre coastal stretch, Ram Babu’s Iran chai is the most popular. Customers congregate here for a flavourful cup of tea and good conversation that is also easy on the pocket.
“We come here almost every evening. And it is over a cup of Ram Babu’s Irani chai that I have discovered many finer things in life ,” says S Pratyusha, a college student. For those wanting something lighter, Ram Babu also serves the tulsi lemon tea and badam milk.
