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MY CUPS OF TEA

Though I have been thinking on a post on this for over a year, was never very serious about it. Now is the time, especially after Sundar had posted on "Kamal Tea Stall". I am just sharing my thoughts and experiences on this wonderful habit of drinking tea and a list of best tea's I have ever had.

5. KAMAL TEA STALL, Kodambakkam, Chennai
Though my favourite hangout (you may call it that way), it must shock some people that it is certainly not the best tea I have ever had. It is certainly among the better ones though. For the past seven years, in and around Kodambakkam, I am yet to taste anything which is half as good as the one that is available here.

There were times, when I used to stay at Madhuravoyal, I used to bike my way till Kodambakkam (travelling for around 10 Kms), just to have a cup of tea (okay okay! I can hear Deepa shouting at me - two cups, and sometimes three) on Sundays and other days when I am not at office.

The tea here is special because, you are given in a Cup and a Saucer (clean ones!), and it tastes heaven when drinking using the saucer. It is also special because you get more value for your money - A Neat Shop, Clean Cups, More Quanti'TEA', Better Quali'TEA'.

4. HITECH, Near Madhya Kailash, Chennai
The name is deceptive, but it is not a technology shop. It is a refreshment stall a few yards away from Madhya Kailash towards Cancer Hospital (near Dollars and Pounds Shop). The place where I have tea during most of my late night trips on my Bullet in search of nothing in particular. 

The tea tastes several notches better than the one available at Kamal, and you get a place to sit and enjoy it as well (I guess you won't have many people fighting for a chair at 11 or 12 in the night). The tea tastes even better when had along with Half Boils and Bread Omelettes.

Apart from these wonderful delicacies (Mr. Mickael Besse, take a bow), you also have a wide variety of juices to choose from.

Best place to enjoy the tea, however, is on your bike. And don't drink water or anything for the next half an hour, for you will kill the pleasure of the tea residues tickling your tongue.

3. THE UNKNOWN SHOP, Near Surya Hospital, Vadapalani Bus Stand
When I first ordered a cup of Special Tea at this shop at 12 in the night (after a walk out from some movie, I don't even remember), I was told that it will cost Rs.15, I was shocked. 

There was nothing special about that shop. It looked the normal stuff - the dirty lungi wearing tea master, oil dripping bajjis and bonda's kept in that aluminum tray over bottles of biscuits, murukku and thattais. The middle aged Mallu shop owner, with that mushy muschy moustache keenly watching every person and keeping a mental count of billable service provided, and that single white light dangling with the shop's entrance closed by half (from the top) using a jute cloth.

Having ordered, I could not stop myself, for it would mean I am fussy about 15 bucks! "Okay Boss, tea'ya poadunga!"

One of the slowest tea preparations I have seen at shops of these sizes, I got my tea after 10 minutes (normal turnaround time is 30 seconds), and you get a taste of that cup even before it is within 5 feet from you! Normally you need to hurt your nose sniffing really hard to check whether it smells like tea, and here the aroma made me turn towards the man carrying those cups.

The aroma carried all the good things from choicest tea leaves, and a host of other ingredients (whose name I don't know and I don't want to know)

One sip, and I had ordered the second. What more, the shop is open for almost 24 Hours. For long, it was my chosen destination after a movie at around 2.00 am.

2. THE UNKNOWN SUPPLIER, Pudupet, Harington Road
This from my visits to a bike repair shop, "Jaf Auto Garage", at Harington Road, at Pudupet. The shop owner Jafar Ali, the famous Bullet Mechanic-Cum-Modifier in South India, used to treat each of the visitors to his shop with a half-a-cup (some 60 to 70 ml) of tea supplied by some kid from a shop nearby.

Though the cup does not exactly look desirable (ever silver cup looking like jaded silver), the tea tastes divine. Often the possibility of that tea used to take me to that shop at the evening. What made the tea even more special was the "Customer Service" you get at that shop. Barely 100 Sq. Ft. in size, that Bullet expert, treats all his customers on par and graciously.

I guess, my love for my Bullet increased manyfold, because of him, and my respect for him grew because of that tea.

If only he had given me a glassful.

1. PRADEEP SHANKAR, My Friend
"Chaai piyaega?" Pradeep had asked during one of my visits to his place at Bangalore. It was in the morning around 7.00 am, and it was after a short two hour sleep in the morning since I reached his house.

"Why not?" and I started readying myself for a visit to nearest shop, when he said he is making some. Few mashings of ginger, and some ten minutes later, and I was treated with, what I would rate as the BEST TEA I HAVE EVER HAD.

The taste was supreme, the quantity - a mugful, aroma far too good to be true. Despite trying at different shops in different cities, and by different people, I am yet to taste anything that is any better than this magic. The possibility of having that has been few, with my inability to visit him often.

Now the prospect of having him at Chennai, makes me lick my tongue, for I will certainly have glassful every week.


WHY SHOULD WE DRINK TEA?
The revitalizing benefits and the protective aspects of tea are well documented and acknowledged by loads of people who know their stuff. It is said that tea leaves contains things that would prevent you from cancer, to a great extent. Also remember reading somewhere, that tea has stuff that would help you protect from some kind of stress. One of my friend once said that it helps in replacing your alarm clock, for it will ring all the appropriate bells in your stomach the morning (proved by demonstration on me, and supported by the voice of God eh. google)

It also helps you stay young (or atleast make you feel that you are young). One can list countless reasons for drinking tea. You may explore further to know other benefits of having a tea, and then decide to have one.

But then, do you need a reason to have a cup of tea? Damn! I have wasted one hour on this fucking post of mine, and my tea has gone cold. 

Comments

Sundar Raman said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sundar Raman said…
Why VJ Amma Tea does not appear in your list...?

It's time we start exploring the first five pavbhaji shop, panipuri shop...
G Saimukundhan said…
Why not in that list? Simple. Because this post is about TEA.
Ketan said…
So, the criterion for knowing one's stuff is approval for drinking tea? ;)

Ignorance is bliss!

Though, I concede tea is better than drinking some other things while driving.

TC.
G Saimukundhan said…
Ketan, Its the reverse, knowing one's own stuff (on tea) is the cause for approving it, and not the reverse.
Ketan said…
Were you angry at my comment when you said the above thing? Seriously asking.
G Saimukundhan said…
Hi Ketan,

Zero anger in these matters. I was worried I had not communicated properly (not that there was any great thing to be communicated). I was afraid it was misunderstood. All I wanted to say was "have a tea, not because of my recommendation, but because researchers and scientists etc have recommended them." My recommending them does not make me either a researcher or scientist.

Again there was no anger.

Cheers
Ketan said…
With regard to heath benefits of tea, if you own an Orkut account, do visit this page. I'd done a lot of research before answering there.

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=16970498&tid=2509447666938770832

And well, once you reach there, do add me (it'd make me happy though I know your contempt for networking sites ;) )

But well, if you don't have a functional Orkut account, I'll summarize things for you.

Benefit:
1. It contains flavinoids and catechins, which protect against atherosclerosis, and thus against heart attacks and stroke. But this benefit comes with a rider--your tea must be green--it must not be oxidized a lot (by heating during processing of tea leaves). The usual black tea that we drink has no such health benefits as all the above beneficial compounds would be roasted to nonexistence--quite literally! Also, one must not heat it much during preparing at home. And milk must not be added (the milk proteins bind with and neutralize the beneficial compounds)!

Harms:
1. Worsens quality of sleep, more so if had close to bed time. This worsening cannot be felt subjectively, but such stimulants increase the REM component (to put it simply, shallow, agitated sleep is REM sleep) and which makes one feel less fresh on waking up.

2. Hot temperature of tea as well as its astringent quality damage the stomach and esophagus (food pipe) lining, which could predispose one to esophageal cancer (by a mechanism not very different from alcohol). But well, those are most far fetched effects. Most practically observable effects are acidity, stomach upset and decreased observation of essential nutrients--most specifically iron because of presence of what are called 'phytates'. What would somewhat prevent these effects would be milk, but then that'd destroy the above beneficial compounds!

3. Increased sugar content

4. Diuretic effect--losing more water in urine--is because of theophylline and caffeine, which are the compounds precisely responsible for the stimulant effects of tea, coffee and chocolate. This is not a huge disadvantage, but if care is not taken after one hour or so, one would end up dehydrated and hence drowsy rather than alert and agile.

How long does the alertness produced last?...
Ketan said…
Not more than 2 hours--caffeine and theophylline will be removed from blood--greater drowsiness than before, insulin is produced within the body in response to sudden rise in glucose level, which would decrease the blood glucose level rapidly and make you drowsy in over an hour. So, by two different mechanisms, one actually ends up less fresh than they'd otherwise feel.

The freshness that we feel on drinking tea or coffee is actually relieving of withdrawal symptoms that one would not have if they were not to be addicted to these beverages in the first place!

But then these addictions are certainly much better than smoking or alcohol.

Just that the health benefit part has been overemphasized in the media.

Hope this helped.

TC.
G Saimukundhan said…
I think, the more you dig deeper we might find some good and some bad, even in items such as tea! Though I don't drink it thinking it to refresh me. I drink only for its taste. And it does taste better than most of the things.

Thanks for increasing my understanding on the science part of tea. I am more interested in the art, though.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
G Saimukundhan said…
Sorry Anonymous,


I have to delete your comments, or rather the "pervert" advert on sale of Viagra. Rather surprising, than shocking, to see you post that comment. Generally, no deletion of comments. But here, this time, it had to be done. Try your luck else where.

My middle finger for you
Ketan said…
Saimukundhan,

Your middle finger is too much to give to that spamster! LOL!

I just read about the concept of Google PageRank, wherein, every page on www gets a ranking from 1 to 10, depending on how many other pages link to them, and in turn, how many are the linking pages linked by.

This PageRank influences the position where a given page would appear on Google search. Pages with better page ranks are more likely to be displayed at the top.

So, spammers like the one whose comment you just deleted, create pages exclusively with LINKS to their web site, and this improves their PageRank. Such exclusive link-inundated pages are known as 'link farms'. So above kind of spamming was another such attempt to popularize their web site by trying to improve their PageRank.

In summary, you did well to delete that comment! ;)

TC.
Nice blog...Very useful information is providing by ur blog..here is a way to find.

Packers and Movers kodambakkam

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