A cup of tea or coffee is indispensable to a common Dogra household these days. While angreji chaa or lipton chaa might be our top choice, our traditional Desi Chaa is no less popular. Desi chaa or tea, the pink coloured tea is our traditional staple morning beverage.

Here are some things to know about it:

Desi chai- Desi cha as they call it in Jammu or pink tea.

It is considered beneficial in comparison to the regular brown tea.
Its leaves are brewed for hours in water unlike regular tea. Condiments like cardamom, cinnamon etc are also added to give it a distinct flavour.

Unlike Kashmiri tea, Dogras, just like their nature, believe in adding sugar to it. Salty tea is downright frowned upon.

Housewives keep the brewed kahwa stored for the entire day. Milk is added to make tea on demand, any time of the day. Desi chaa is usually savoured with toda, maize flour bread, or prantha. Bakery items like kachori and bakarkhani is also munched with it according to occasion.

In days gone by, desi chaa was served invariably at every occasion- from mundan to marriage, shagun, satsang etc. 

It is said that Indian soldiers, including the Dogras, who fought alongside the British in world wars, brought with them the tradition of taking lipton tea with them.

Read also: About Kimb (किम्ब): The tasty chaat from Dogra Cuisine

Since then, this dark cousin of our desi chaa has gradually taken over our traditional beverage. Still the Dogra households continue to consume desi chaa, especially during winters. Desi chaa is extensively warming and comforting.