We had a tea factory where CTC dust tea was produced from tea leaves collected locally. Fresh tea from the manufacturing process was taken for making those perfect cups of tea.
Like most people in Kerala, we drink tea with milk and sugar added. The perfect tea of those days stopped when my father had to close down the factory when rubber replaced tea as a plantation in the locality.
Ever since I have been looking for that perfect tea. The taste of tea in local tea stalls is better than the tea bags that are marketed now, but a distant second to the perfect tea we had at home.
A few years back, we were tourists in Sri Lanka and were taken to a tea tour in Nuveralia where I was thrilled to see the tea factory exactly like the one we had. And as a school boy, I used to insist on starting the factory chain process.
That was starting two giant metallic wheels using a car steering like starter. After switching on, turn the steering 90 degrees clockwise and count 30. Then turn the steering a further 90 degrees and the process is all set.
The best thing in Nuveralia was the complimentary cup of tea from the factory and that was the perfect cup of tea.
Now I am still in the research to reproduce the magic. I am using CTC powder tea from the top rated Kerala tea company but the tea is not coming closer to those perfect ones.
Perhaps the toned milk is to be replaced with fresh cow milk. Perfect cup of those days used milk from the cows we had at our land. Can we trust the packaged milk branded as fresh cow milk!
Process adopted by me is:- Boil the slightly diluted milk and add CTC premium grade tea dust to the boiled milk. Stir well and cover the vessel for 5 minutes away from fire. Pour into a cup through a strainer and add sugar as required.
If anyone can suggest a better method to get that perfect cup, I will be greatly obliged.
By the way, there’s a magic tea with fantastic taste in Paragon restaurant in lulu mall, Kochi. It’s called ‘Biriyani Chai’. Magical because the tea and milk/ cream are separated at an acute angle in a long v shaped glass. You have to mix the two before drinking.
Ask for Biriyani Tea if you visit any of the Calicut Paragon outlets in Calicut, Kochi or Dubai.
And if I manage to make the perfect cup, come for a cup of tea……
Kurian 
I have been to both Nuwara Eliya and Paragon, Calicut. Though not being much of a connoisseur in the matter of tea making/relishing, I did enjoy the tea tasting sessions in Sri Lanka! But missed the ‘biryani chai’. Nice read!
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first time am hearing about biriyani tea.. nice to hear..
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Good idea to visit Lulu Mall and Paragon in Kochi and ask for Biriyani Chai.
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👍
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Hi Kurian! Great to have discovered your blog 🙂 Keep those posts coming! 🙂 Regards from a fellow malayali 🙂
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Same sentiments here. Will look forward to your posts
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I recently read a novel “The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane” which spoke at length about tea growing and harvesting in China. I like my tea without additions and right now am sampling various green teas. The tea dust sounds wonderful.
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I’m with you, Elizabeth – Kurian, I love this post because I loooove tea 🙂
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Great. So it’s worth searching for that perfect cup of tea 😊
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I agree – plus, some tea is always better than no tea 🙂
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You make tea by diluting milk with water first, and then boiling the mixture together? That’s so different from the way we make it at home! We almost have a 2:3 water-milk ratio, how diluted is yours?
I’ve been to Paragon but never asked for Biryani chaya. We have some outlets in Tvm that sell biryani chaya with biryani – at least that’s what they called it! but it was black tea! With a couple of spices and lime added. That’s not it then? I didn’t like it the first time, but it grew on me and I love it now.
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Okay that wasn’t black tea -_- I meant it had no milk lol.
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Thanks Parvathy. I think I have to add more milk.
Make sure you order biriyani chai of Paragon. The display of black tea and milk separated at an angle in the glass is amazing. I will take a photo next time and share.
And that’s the taste of the tea I am talking about.
Thanks for your advice
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Great, I’m looking forward to my next Kozhikode visit! 🙂
(I’ve visited that one, not the Lulu one. It should be available there too, no?)
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I am sure and it could be even better
Good luck
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Hi, Kurian I don’t mind a cuppa tea now
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That’s so sweet. I will make a special tea.
Biriyani chai is still elusive though
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No, I still prefer a normal cuppa
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Sure 👌
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😇
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