Chai has been at the heart of daily life for over five millennia. The legend tells of a powerful emperor in an ancient Asian empire who had been gravely ill for years. In desperation, he commanded his court physicians to create a healing drink.
One physician, sitting beneath a tea bush with no ideas, began plucking leaves and fruits from every bush around him. He boiled them for hours, then added milk and honey. After drinking this first "Chai Masala", the emperor felt better immediately — and the physician was richly rewarded.
For over a hundred years, only emperors were permitted to drink Chai. Today, thousands of Chai Wallahs in the streets of India prepare this legendary drink every single day — the engine that keeps communities running.
