The Culture of Chai in Kolkata

The city of joy, as they say, runs on chai. There is not a corner where you won't see these small kulhads (called bhars).

A small clay bhar of chai held in Kolkata: the vessel that defines the city's chai culture

In every part of Kolkata, you will see a small shop of chai sellers, selling chai that tastes the same everywhere. More often than not, these only hold a sip of chai. Ek bhar chai, as the people there call it.

A row of bhars at a Kolkata tea stall: every shop, every corner, the same ritual

Hyderabad and Kolkata are the two cities where I've seen people drink chai in huge quantities, not just at home, but outside. It's a culture. A public, communal, constant culture.

What the Chai Is Like

The chai here is super thin (paani zyada, more water) and super strong, in contrast with the Hyderabad chai, which is super milky but not very strong. In Kolkata, the strength comes from the chai patti, not the milk.

I've never seen such a small glass as the bhar anywhere else in India.

Street-side chai seller in Kolkata pouring chai into bhars from a large vessel

People drink chai in small quantities: a quick sip standing at a stall, then back to whatever they were doing. Then another bhar an hour later. It's not a sit-down occasion the way it is in Varanasi or Hyderabad. It's a running thread through the day.

The evening chai crowd in Kolkata, bhars in hand, gathered at a pavement stall

There's something about Kolkata chai that's harder to explain than to experience. The thin, strong, clay-scented bhar of chai in the evening, with the city humming around you: that's the city of joy, distilled.

Part of the Iconic Chai Stops of India series.