Have A Cup Of Cutting Chai

By Author: Fidos Cafe
Total Articles: 34
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Read the headline? Ahh, the very word 'cutting chai', I think I can already see that mild chuckle forming ripples in your face. No? It's not? Not ringing any bell? Well it will if you either choose to have a tryst with Mumbai, India or read my article.

'Cutting chai'. Let me first explain the literal meaning, in case if you are not aware of the term. Chai means Tea in Indian national language, Hindi. And Cutting is, well, it is the simple english word. Together they mean the tea that has been cut (generally into halves). Well, now I see that ripples on your face, probably because of the grammatical error in the phrase, but believe me that's how it gets spoken in Mumbai and Indians can at once relate it to a steaming cup of tea. Lets not get into much details as to how it should be and why it should be, instead lemme give you a tempting detail of what it is.

Cutting chai meaning cutting the tea or for that matter a glass of tea into half. It is a popular term specially used in Mumbai by the tea vendors, both in the small street-side shops and also in bigger restaurants to denote half-filled glass of tea (though ...
... it is said half filled or atleast it is ought to be so, in reality, it is something about 60 percent filled.) You may ask, why the tea is cutted or divided into two on the first place. My answer is 'Economy'. Land of economic constraints, India is well known for arranging things in lesser price and in most profitable way, and the one indigenous word for it is 'Juggad'. In older days, two people used to share one single cup of tea thereby cutting the price (yes, its actually cutting the price, and not the chai). Now the vendors have gone way ahead in customer servicing and divide the chai all by themselves. Therefore, now you can enjoy your cutting chai even if you run out of a partner.

Lets come to the main point, i.e. its make and uniqueness. The tea is the one that is made up of milk and sugar. Had I been written this article some 6-7 years back, I would have to actually wrote “lots of sugar and milk”, but owing to the rising health consciousness of the citizens, now the quantity of sugar has came down to just mildly sweetening the drink which is way more pleasing at least to my tongue. Though I can't vouch that everywhere it is the same, at least the two-three vendors from whom I take my regular supply have done so. The flavor of the tea is further enhanced by the addition of ginger to it. This hot milky chai at the end of a day's toil is nothing less than nectar, ask any Mumbaikaar.

What? You do not have any chance to ask a Mumbaikaar or visit the city? Well, that's definitely acceptable. It doesn't make a sense to travel down all the way from New York to Mumbai just for half cup of tea (though I would say it is that soul-filling to give a try). What you can actually do is visit Fidos Cafe right there in your city. Enjoying cutting chai in New York is only possible that way. Not only does it serves cutting chai but serve it it in a proper Indian ambience. Founded by Fido, the cafe is a piece of little India within the New York. Do give it a try.