flipAdrak Cha — Bengali ginger tea
Adrak Cha — Bengali ginger tea
Why this dish? Tea punctuates the Bengali day, and that of a Calcutta university scholar even more: between two manipulations in the laboratory, the steaming cup of cha was the ritual that rhythm the long research hours of Asima Chatterjee.
A robust black tea infused with milk, sugar, and crushed fresh ginger, sometimes spiked with a cardamom. Comforting, pungent, it is the drink of all conversations and all working hours.
Work in the laboratory is long, and there is no fatigue that a cup of hot cha cannot dispel. Crush your ginger in a mortar, throw it into the water with the tea, and let it boil vigorously — a timid cha has never woken anyone. Add the milk, the sugar, and let it rise once more. It is at the four o'clock cup that the best ideas are born, believe an old chemist.
- •Black tea (Assam or Darjeeling) — a good pinch (base)
- •Fresh ginger — a crushed piece (aromatic heat)
- •Milk — a little (roundness)
- •Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- •Cardamom — one pod (optional) (perfume)
Adrak Cha — Bengali ginger tea
A robust black tea infused with milk, sugar, and crushed fresh ginger, sometimes spiked with a cardamom. Comforting, pungent, it is the drink of all conversations and all working hours.
Why this dish? Tea punctuates the Bengali day, and that of a Calcutta university scholar even more: between two manipulations in the laboratory, the steaming cup of cha was the ritual that rhythm the long research hours of Asima Chatterjee.
Work in the laboratory is long, and there is no fatigue that a cup of hot cha cannot dispel. Crush your ginger in a mortar, throw it into the water with the tea, and let it boil vigorously — a timid cha has never woken anyone. Add the milk, the sugar, and let it rise once more. It is at the four o'clock cup that the best ideas are born, believe an old chemist.
Ingredients (period version)
- Black tea (Assam or Darjeeling) — a good pinch (base)
- Fresh ginger — a crushed piece (aromatic heat)
- Milk — a little (roundness)
- Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- Cardamom — one pod (optional) (perfume)
Ingredients
- Loose black tea (Assam) — 2 tsp (base)
- Water — 250 ml (infusion)
- Fresh ginger — 1 piece of 2 cm, crushed (heat)
- Milk — 150 ml (roundness)
- Sugar — 2 tsp (sweetness)
- Green cardamom — 1 pod, crushed (optional) (perfume)
Method
- Bring the water to a boil with the crushed ginger (and cardamom).
- Add the black tea and let boil for 1 to 2 minutes for a strong infusion.
- Pour in the milk and sugar, bring back to a boil while watching.
- Let simmer for one more minute, then strain into a cup. Serve piping hot.
How it was made : Sweetened, spiced milk tea spread in India under the British Raj, when the tea industry of Assam and Darjeeling sought a domestic market. The Bengali household adopted and personalized it, ginger being a popular addition, appreciated for its virtues against cold and cough.
The contemporary twist : Serve the cha in a kulhar (disposable terracotta cup), which gives it that slight clay flavor that Indian railway stations adore.
Sources : Lizzie Collingham, *Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors* · K.T. Achaya, *Indian Food: A Historical Companion*
Asima Chatterjee · Charactorium
