Islamabad: It’s a cuppa like no other. Every evening in Islamabad a crowd arrives at Sanaullah’s street stall to taste his “tandoori chai” – milk tea served in terracotta mugs, still hot from his traditional oven.
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The old-fashioned cups are placed directly inside the tandoor, where they are baked at high temperatures.
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The tea, prepared separately, is then poured in to the cups, where it starts to boil on hitting the hot clay.
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In Pakistan, where the classic milk tea – thick, strong, and generously sweet – dominates all strata of society, the particular alchemy of tandoori chai seduces patrons intrigued by its traditional roots and distinct earthy taste.
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The tandoor is ubiquitous in South Asia, most commonly used to bake bread.
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But the concept of making tea this way, is the main draw for many, explains Sanaullah, the jovial owner of a trendy shop located in an upmarket area of the Pakistani capital.
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“The process of making it is really very interesting, which makes people like it,” he said, adding that the tea also has a smoky flavour which attracts many.
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Sitting among the customers on a low rush stool, Muhammad Ishaq Khawar is a frequent customer.
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“There is a different kind of atmosphere, especially the way in which we are served tea. It was a very old system which goes back to the old days when the terracotta pots were used,” he explains.
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It may seem like a niche product but the drink has become so popular the Tandoori Chai Company cafes, which recently launched in Lahore, has expanded to a second branch.
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73%
of Pakistani tea drinkers have at least two or more cups a day###
And while coffee culture has caught on in Pakistan’s main cities with big name chains and local cafes a hit urban youths, tea, regardless of how it is prepared, is nonetheless an essential component of the daily menu.
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The country is one of the top tea consumers globally according to research firm Euromonitor International, while a recent study by Gallup found 73 per cent of Pakistani tea drinkers have at least two or more cups a day.
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“Not only in Pakistan, but in the entire subcontinent, it has been mixed in our blood,” says Mohammad Asim Khan, a customer at a small eatery in Islamabad.
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He adds: “Your physical fatigue will go away by taking tea and you get fresh.”
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