Noon chai

Noon chai, also called shir chai, gulabi chai, Kashmiri tea or pink tea, is a traditional tea beverage, originating from the Kashmir Valley, made with gunpowder tea (green tea leaves rolled into small balls), milk and baking soda.

Etymology

The word noon means 'salt' in several languages such as Kashmiri, Bengali, Rajasthani, Hindi and Nepali. It is used in several other terms, such as the noon-dab ("salt promise") custom of Rajasthan, where a hand is dipped in salt to signify a solemn promise.

Kashmiri chai

Preparation

Noon chai is traditionally made from a type of green tea leaves, milk, salt, baking soda and usually cooked in a samavar. A pinch of baking soda gives it a pronounced pink color. Sugar is not traditionally used in Kashmiri home recipes, although newer commercial preparations in Indian and Pakistani restaurants and tea stalls may include sweetener.

Noon chai is served in many states of India usually in Northern India (Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh) and areas with even small Tibetan population such as Mainpat, Chhattisgarh. In Pakistan, it is often served with sugar and nuts (for non-Kashmiris who are not acquainted with salty tea), at special occasions, weddings, and during the winter months. Noon chai is an essential part of Kashmiri breakfast and supper, It is consumed with various types of traditional bread made in Kashmir. Kashmiri chai or Kashmiri tea is pink, milky and creamy and is usually garnished with a sprinkling of chopped almonds and pistachios. Noon chai is often made by using gunpowder green leaf tea, which is a type of green tea rolled into balls. The gunpowder tea is heated to a high temperate, in which baking soda is added. The baking soda then reacts with the gunpowder tea at a high temperature (usually boiling point) and produces a deep red, maroon colour. This process is typically done two-three times by cooling the mixture by adding ice and then reboiling it, which results in a deep red hue being released from the reaction. When milk is added, it turns into a pink colour. Unfortunately, most shops will not undergo such a labour intensive process in order to release the red hue, but rather would use an instant Kashmiri chai mix or just straight up add red food colouring to imitate the vibrant pink colour that is naturally released when the tea is made properly.

Major Servings

Noon chai is usually served at breakfast time in Kashmir Valley. People prefer to take tea instead of taking any fruit or vegetable for breakfast. Kashmiri bread is served along with the tea and with butter also.

See also

• Butter tea
• Kulhar
• Masala chai

References

6. Life of a Notable Kashmiri by Abid Bashir

External links

• Traditional noon chai recipe