Noon chai also called Shir Chai or Gulabi Chai is the famous local item of Kashmir. It is made of gunpowder tea, milk, sea salt, and baking soda. It is usually cooked in samavar. Kashmiris usually drink noon chai in the morning or evening along with naan (a type of Indian flatbread). Some locals even prefer to drink it during working hours!
The word ‘Noon’ means salt in Kashmiri language. Along with salt, some nuts like almonds and pistachios are thrown in that are known to be warm in nature.
The origins of noon chai are not confirmed. It is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, in the Kashmir Valley.
GUNPOWDER TEA
Gunpowder tea is loosely rolled green tea into tiny pellets that resemble gunpowder. This type of tea is usually produced using green tea (but not always!)
When you steep a cup of gunpowder tea, each individual leaf unrolls or "explodes" as some would describe. The tea has a taste that many describe as lightly smoky—as the name indicates.
Some people blend gunpowder tea with other types of tea to create unique flavors. For example, gunpowder tea combined with spearmint tea creates a well-known blend called Moroccan mint tea.
HOW DOES IT GET ITS CHARACTERISTIC PINK COLOR?
If you think it's saffron? You're totally wrong! Baking soda or soda bicarbonate is added to green tea while it is brewing. This reacts with the tea and turns it into a nice red concentrate. This can take up to 2 hours. This is then diluted with water, followed by adding milk and salt to it.
SAMAVAR
Samavar is a traditional kettle that is used to brew, boil and serve Noon Chai. Since the heated water is typically used to make tea, many samovars have a ring-shaped attachment around the chimney to hold and heat a teapot filled with tea concentrate.
BENEFITS OF NOON CHAI
It is known to have digestive properties because of the sodium bicarbonate content. As per Kashmiri folklore, noon chai is refreshing in the heat and resists cold during winters. It is known to prevent heartburn and bloating because of the cardamom and baking soda content. It is also known to reduce stress and anxiety as it contains L-theanine, an amino acid component, according to reports.
(I don't own any of the images or content, all of the rights go to the respective owners)
Comments