Masala Chai Tops World's Best Tea List And It's A Fave At Indian Weddings, Too

You probably can't begin your day without one; it's part of luxe tea bars and little street corners; it regales poets, lovers and health aficionados, and just one isn’t enough. We're talking of a cup of masala chai - that ubiquitous desi cuppa that makes for an energetic pick-me-up. And now, it's officially been crowned the best tea in the world by Taste Atlas, with other teas like Darjeeling, Assam, Kangra from Himachal Pradesh and Noon Chai from Jammu and Kashmir’s traditional Noon Chai, featuring on the list, too. But guess what, masala chai is increasingly part of Indian weddings, too! 
 

Symbolises a Fresh Start

Heard of the popular lines, 'Chai pey bulaaya hai' and 'baat pakki with chai'. It only goes to show how intrinsic this ritual is to the Indian shaadi scene. In homes where the celebrations take root, this is the life force of all discussion. While the wedding has its feast, rewind things to the start, where the real deal is that hot cup of tea. In homes across the country, wedding mornings evoke images of kitchens where milk is boiled with tea leaves, ginger, cardamom, and spices, then brewed into a delicious drink with a rich aroma and served to family members, guests, and those helping with the wedding. "I cannot imagine a wedding minus its chai," laughs Delhi-based wedding planner Neha Wadhwani. "People can forgive a slight delay in décor being set up. But they cannot forgive not getting their tea on time; everything stems from that.”

Masala tea packs emotion and memory as much as it packs taste. Natasha Chauhan, a resident of Indore who recently got married, swears by the number of cups of masala chai she had in the run-up to D-Day. “It literally eased my worries, and somehow after a cup, life just felt good; there was something so comforting about it,” she adds.

Caterers Affirm The Trend

Take any wedding function too, either in a banquet hall indoors, by the pool or just at home, the masala chai fix finds its place among the charcuterie boards and salad stations. Gurgaon-based chef-entrepreneur at Culinary Affaire, Arjun Chadha, affirms: “People absolutely love having a live chai station with its masala chai, whether it’s a casual or formal wedding. It’s usually served with mathris and kharis. Of course, in weddings in the winter, this is a must-have. What’s endearing about masala chai is that it is so refreshing; also, with the wedding madness on, you need a break without being able to get too far, and this gives you just that break.”

Growing up in a bustling joint family, Mumbai-based home chef Swheta Agarwal of Kookie Cake Crumble says their ultimate Sunday treat was a simple ritual: Dad would take humble khari biscuits, bake them until crisp, and serve them straight from the oven alongside piping hot masala chai. The pure joy of dipping those warm biscuits into tea is a feeling I will never forget.

When I later stepped into the world of baking, I knew I had to honour these beautiful, humble roots. I decided to recreate that nostalgia by baking a Masala Chai Teacake with Roasted Hazelnuts that are in big demand at vibrant sangeet parties and elegant wedding receptions.”

Driven by it, she took the flavour a step further. “We also created a Masala Chai Cheesecake built on a crunchy base of everyone's childhood favourite: Parle-G biscuits.”

With the monsoons set to make a splash soon, plan your wedding as you sip on some masala chai!