The article speaks of numbers of teashops serving sweet milky tea in the Tibetan capital: "In Tibet, no morning is complete without sweet tea. Drinking sweet tea in the morning is a necessary part of Tibetans’ daily life in Lhasa", explains the article.
The reporter continues: "The predecessor of Tibetan sweet tea is said to be British black tea, brought by the British in the 19th century. Sweet tea is a kind of ivory yellow liquid and is made from black tea, milk and sugar for fully mixing, which smells good and sweet."
Isn't it what we call 'chai' in India?
It is what the Prime Minister Modi used to serve on the railway platforms in his younger days.
Where did this habit come from?
From India no doubt!
The article says: "Now, sweet tea houses in Lhasa scattered everywhere, Guang Ming Gamchung Tea House, Guang Ming Tea House, Tsamkhung Nunnery Sweet Tea House and so on are the most famous. As a tradition, the tea houses open at half past eight in the morning and close at seven o'clock in the evening with overwhelming customers in an endless stream. Locals often chat with each other at tea houses, drinking sweet tea when thirsty and eating Tibetan noodles and buns when hungry."
It does not explains why the Tibetan have dropped their traditional bod cha or salted butter tea for an 'Indian' chai.
Is it a political statement?
The captions of the photos are interesting:
- A corner of Guang Ming Gamchung Sweet Tea House in Lhasa
- Customers are drinking sweet tea and basking in the sunshine at Guang Ming Tea House
- A waitress is serving sweet tea at Guang Ming Gamchung Tea House
- A businessman from Chamdo prefecture is drinking sweet tea
- Customers are drinking sweet tea at Guang Ming Tea House
- Customers are drinking sweet tea and basking in the sunshine at Guang Ming Tea House
- Two Tibetan men are drinking sweet tea at Tsamkhung Nunnery Sweet Tea House
- A staff is collecting sweet tea bottles
No comments:
Post a Comment