Irani Chai (Irani Tea) is
very popular in the Twin Cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Several Lakhs of
cups of Irani Chai are sold every day, starting from early morning till late at
night. Though I do not go for Irani Chai, I am a big witness to the demand and
popularity of this beverage. I stay very close to Paradise Multi-Cuisine
Restaurant Complex in Secunderabad; it has two Irani Chai outlets in the
building. One outlet is along Prenderghast Road, this is over 60 years old, it
opens by 5:00 AM and closes well past midnight. The other adjoining outlet
which is about two decades old is along Sarojini Devi Road; it opens at 6:00 AM
and closes by midnight. Right from the time the outlets open; till the time of
closing, there is a mad rush for Irani Chai. And so is the rush at every Café
selling Irani Chai in the Twin Cities. Though all Cafés are popular in their
respective areas, some of them like Paradise, Garden Restaurant, Alpha Hotel,
Blue Sea, Blue Bird, Shadab, Bahaar, Alhamdulillah, Adarsh, Saarvi and many
more such hotels are well known throughout the Twin Cities.
At the top of this article is
a video, shot at Garden Restaurant, Secunderabad, where around ten thousand
cups of Irani Chai are sold every day. The history of Irani Chai and the
process of making the Chai are explained in this video.
I think Irani Chai is an
addiction among the regulars to the Irani Cafés. They love it and have several
cups every day, treating every cup as a precious potion, because it enriches
their physical and mental condition.
I like home-brewed Tea, Lemon
Tea in the morning, soon after returning from my morning walk, and Tea with
milk sometime after breakfast and again in the evening. I too love Tea, and I
agree with what William E. Gladstone said in 1865! …..
If you are cold, tea will
warm you;
If you are too heated, it
will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will
cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.
Hi Sir,
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me some Cafe name, where can I get good and traditional Irani-Chai in Hyderabad.
Dear Mr. Lavnesh,
DeleteThank you for evincing interest in my article.
After my morning walk at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad, I sometimes have Irani Chai at one of these outlets: Paradise Cafe at Paradise Junction, Garden Cafe / Restaurant at Clock Tower, Alpha Hotel or Blue Sea Hotel close to Secunderabad Station. These are very popular Irani Chai outlets in Secunderabad selling thousands of cups of Chai everyday and most of the customers are regulars, virtually addicts! The taste of Chai is slightly different at each of these outlets but refreshing.
However I must admit that I am not a great admirer of Chai at these places for the simple reason that it tastes a bit too sweet.
You may try any of these outlets in Secunderabad. Paradise Cafe may be a better option for the simple reason that it has got a slightly larger parking area.