Several months back in January, this year, I happened to come across the The Kashmiri Craftisan Festival which was ongoing in near Haiko shopping centre, Powai . And I stopped by to try out their Kehwa tea, as I was a keen tea lover!
The taste of the Kehwa tea was indeed different – it was like a mix of the green tea and the regular tea (though we have it with milk, this tea did not have milk in it) with a heavy dose of dry fruits.
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| Kehwa tea from a samovar |
Here are some brief details about this tea: Kehwa tea (also known as kahwah or qahwah) is usually served to guests in Kashmir (Northern part of India) It is prepared in a brass kettle known as samovar*
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| Kehwa tea |
Served in tiny, shallow cups, the tea is made by boiling green tea leaves, cinnamon bark and cardamom pods. Kashmiri roses may be added for enhanced aroma. It is served with sugar or honey and crushed nuts like almonds or walnuts. Saffron is added for special visitors!
*Samovar: A samovar consists of a "fire-container" running as a central cavity, in which live coals are placed keeping the tea perpetually hot. Around the fire-container there is a space for water to boil and the tealeaves and other ingredients are mixed with the water.
“Who would then deny that when I am sipping tea in my tearoom I am swallowing the whole universe with it and that this very moment of my lifting the bowl to my lips is eternity itself transcending time and space?”
― D.T.Suzuki, Zen and Japanese Culture.
― D.T.Suzuki, Zen and Japanese Culture.
