India 2
India is comprised of 29 states, 6 union territories, and the Dehli national capital territory. Each state has a lot of control over their own affairs, so from reading the introduction, it sounds like there is a lot of variance between regions. According to this source, 1/6 of the planet’s population lives in India, making it the second most populous country (China is first).
They have a long history of civilization, and have had many outside influences over their history from the middle east, portugese eplorers, and Europe. When British rule of this region ended, they made the region into two countries, India and Pakistan. Bangladesh later split off from Pakistan. India has an extensive history, and extensive diversity (and I don't have time to read the 43 pages compiled in the link above). Tea seems to be a commonality among the groups.
As we discussed last week, British settlers brought the idea of tea cultivation to India. The first tea plantings were in the Assam and Darjeeling regions. Per this article, it took 14 years for the tea industry to get started, and their production is second only to China. This article also states that there are over 100,000 tea gardens in India. That is a lot of tea!
Last week I tried a convenience product for Indian tea. Today I'm brewing my own from Assam tea, and whole spices.
Our lineup from left to right: nutmeg, black peppercorns, cloves, dried ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon stick pieces.
Bash the dried ginger in your mortar and pestle to make a chunky powder. Also use it to crack your cardamom pods, black peppercorns (I prefer to use just one or two if I use them at all), and cloves. Some people like to crush their cinnamon pieces, too. I don't bother with it. Nutmeg is one of those spices where a little goes a long way, so I scrape a few crumbs off of it with a knife to add to my tea.
They have a long history of civilization, and have had many outside influences over their history from the middle east, portugese eplorers, and Europe. When British rule of this region ended, they made the region into two countries, India and Pakistan. Bangladesh later split off from Pakistan. India has an extensive history, and extensive diversity (and I don't have time to read the 43 pages compiled in the link above). Tea seems to be a commonality among the groups.
As we discussed last week, British settlers brought the idea of tea cultivation to India. The first tea plantings were in the Assam and Darjeeling regions. Per this article, it took 14 years for the tea industry to get started, and their production is second only to China. This article also states that there are over 100,000 tea gardens in India. That is a lot of tea!
Last week I tried a convenience product for Indian tea. Today I'm brewing my own from Assam tea, and whole spices.
Our lineup from left to right: nutmeg, black peppercorns, cloves, dried ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon stick pieces.
Bash the dried ginger in your mortar and pestle to make a chunky powder. Also use it to crack your cardamom pods, black peppercorns (I prefer to use just one or two if I use them at all), and cloves. Some people like to crush their cinnamon pieces, too. I don't bother with it. Nutmeg is one of those spices where a little goes a long way, so I scrape a few crumbs off of it with a knife to add to my tea.
Here are my spices, now you just need to add water and boil. Once it comes to a boil, add your tea. After the tea has brewed for a few minutes, add your milk, and let it heat through. Strain into your cup and enjoy.
This brew is fantastic. I make this style of tea a lot - both with and without milk. I don't always use the full range of spices, and I use decaf tea for the evenings, but I tend to gravitate toward this style of tea. I find it to be really satisfying when I kind of want a snack, but don't know what.
Yay for spices! Looks like a good mix for fall when it comes.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but think that mom would be appalled by all the spices in my cupboard, but I like them.
DeleteShe was alarmed when people used pepper. I'm pretty sure she thinks salt is the only acceptable seasoning...
DeleteWhen we were on vacation, mom thought she was speaking for me too when she told our hostess that all we needed on some chicken breasts was some salt, and maybe a little pepper. After that conversation, I went inside and checked out the spice rack to find something more interesting to use. I also had to assure our hostess that mom was always that boring when it came to food, and it was not something out of the ordinary.
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