Biography 322: How to increase the amount of tea.

 I don't remember when I started taking tea. In Bangladesh, parents allow children to drink tea from a very early age. Maybe a 3-year-old child can be allowed to drink tea.

My youngest sister likes to drink tea, but she was very young. So my mom gave her tea in a small cup that wasn't full. She came up with a solid plan. First, she took one or two sips, then poured her tea into my mom's big mug. My mom was surprised. She asked what had happened. My sister said, "Okay, bring my tea back." Even though she had already taken some tea, she took it all back. But my mom didn't fill her cup 100%. So she said, "I don't drink half a cup of tea. It has to be full." My mom filled it, and she drank it. Then she said, "I don't drink just one cup of tea. I take 2 full cups of tea." So my mom had to fill her cup once again.

Tea bags

 Trying to buy everything made in Canada and also affordable. You know how difficult it is to shop with both of these criteria at the same time.

I was searching for tea bags and found Black Tea from the No Name brand. I doubted its taste, but since it was made in Canada and was the cheapest option, I decided to buy it.

I didn't have any high expectations for these tea bags. As long as I can drink it, I'm fine with it. Without sugar, tea isn't tasty to me.

I made my tea with these new tea bags. It tastes strong and gives the water less colour. I can handle it. It's not bad.

"Daal Puri" is my favorite tea snack.

"Daal Puri" is my favourite tea snack.

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Daal Puri is a Bangladeshi snack. First, we boil the lentil with onion, salt, garlic, turmeric, and chilli. Coriander leaf is optional. You have to give less water, so it soaks almost all the water and leaves the boiled, soft wet lentil. Then, we make tortillas with flour, a pinch of salt, and oil. Then make a small tortilla or roti. Put a teaspoon of lentil paste in the middle and cover it with the rooti like momo. Then again, with the roller make small rooti. In the end, fry it in the oil. Your puri is ready.

This is the typical recipe. You can make it in many different ways.

I like to take it with salad/salsa and tea.

Biography 115: Making Tea

 In our school, we had another kitchen. That kitchen was only used to make teas for the teachers and food for our headmistress. One day 4 of us (As much as I can remember) decided to make tea when no one will be in the kitchen for us. I don't know from where I had got this kind of idea. But I always have.

So, we decided. Masuma will bring sugar, Numa (She is no more with us on this earth) will bring milk powder, Kakon will bring tea and me, well nothing left for me, I have distributed all the works among my friends ;)

On the action day, we get together. Kakon said she didn't bring tea leaf. What! I said all programs cancel. I was very annoyed with Kakon. But Kanon said we will make tea from the used tea leaves. She knew that is available in the kitchen. That's why she didn't bring it.

I have seen at home, my mom always has thrown away used tea leaves. I didn't know people make tea from that too. So, I said, whatever been throughout from our teacher's tea we have to make tea from that! No way! I won't drink that tea. I came back to my classroom and expected Masuma who always supported me on every issue will come back too. But she didn't.

After one hour she came back, with a very sad face. I asked her, how come that leftover tea became so important for you? Masuma replied, what should I do? Numa hold my legs, that I have to drink the tea! Otherwise, she wouldn't let me go.

Later she said, people, make tea from leftover tea leaves. At home, my mom adds some more new tea leaves with it and makes them. Well on that day I didn't agree.

Now I know this happens. Though I don't use those to make tea, sometimes use them as a fertilizer for the plants.

দার্জিলিং এর চা(Tea from Darjeeling)

[English version has given below]

যাওয়ার আগেই দেশ থেকে বলে দেয়া হয়েছিল, যেন আসার সময় দার্জলিংয়ের চা নিয়ে আসি।

দার্জিলিংয়ে আমরা যে রেস্টুরেন্টে খেতাম, তার সাথে একটা হাই ফাই চা পাতার দোকান ছিল। দেখেই ভয় পেয়েছিলাম, না জানি এখানে দাম কতো হবে। হলোও তাই, দোকানদার ভাংগা ভাংগা বাংলায় বলল যদি ভাল চা চান তো ১৯০০রুপি কেজি নিতে পারেন। আমাদের করুন মুখ দেখেই হয়তো আরেক ধরনের চা দেখালো, বেশ কারিশমা করে হাত দিয়ে ডলে তারপর মুখের সামনে ধরল। গন্ধ ভালো। এটার দাম নাকি ২০০ রুপি কেজি, তবে আমরা বাংগালী এবং এই কোম্পানীর মালিকও নাকি বাংগালী তাই ১৮০ রুপি কেজি। এটাই নাকি মালিকের নির্দেশ। দোকানদারও নাকি বাংগালী, তবে হিন্দি বলতে বলতে এখন নাকি বাংলা ভুলে গেছে। যাই হোক, এখান থেকে কেনা হয়নি।

পরের দিন হাটতে হাটতে মোড় এ আরেকটা চায়ের দোকান দেখলাম। আমাদের দেশের নীলক্ষেতের দোকানের মতোন, ভাবলাম এ হয়তো কম চাবে। এর চা যেটা পছন্দ করলাম সেটা ১৬০টাকা কেজি।

পরে আমাদের গাইড বলল, সে আমাদের চা বাগানে নিয়ে যাবে, সেখান থেকে নাকি আসল ভাল চা পাব। তাই সই। নিয়ে গেল আমাদের, চা বাগানে নয়, বাগানের পাশে রাস্তার ধারে টিনের ছাউনি দেয়া একজায়গায়, সেখানে চা বিক্রি হচ্ছে ২০০টাকা কেজি। তারা স্যাম্পল চা-ও খাওয়ালো, ভালোই।

বাসায় আনার পর ভাল ধরা খেলাম, চা হলো খুবই পাতলা। বাসার কেউ কেউ বিদ্রোহ করলো, এই চা খাবে না। এখন যেটা করি, দেশি চায়ের সাথে মিশিয়ে দেই, ভাল গন্ধ পাওয়া যায়। আর অনেক্ষন জ্বাল দিলে খেতে খারাপ লাগেনা। আমি দেখেছি এই চা খেলে মাথা ধরা কমে চলে যায়, বেশ ফ্রেশ লাগে।

[ ০৩ রা ডিসেম্বর, ২০০৭ ]

Before we went to Darjeeling, all told us, they want to taste Darjeeling tea, so we must not forget to bring some.

In Darjeeling there was tea shop (Very gorgeous) just beside our restaurant. I afraid, here price must be high. Yes, as I thought. The shop keeper told us in poor Bangla, if we want best quality tea then it will cost 1900 rupee per kg. Then he must saw something on our face so he brought another kind of tea. He masses them on his hand in especial style then gives us to check. Really smelt good. He said this will cost 200 rupee per kg. But as we are Bengali he will take 180 rupee per kg, because the shop owner (And the keeper also) is also Bengali but after living all these years in Darjeeling, he forget Bangla language. Anyway we didn't buy anything from here.

Next we found another tea shop in walking distance. It looks like a shop from Nilkhet. We guessed here we might found something cheap. The tea we choose here was 160 rupee per kg.

Later our guide told us, he will take us to a tea garden, we can buy tea from that garden, which is genuine. We agreed. He took us a tin shaded tea shop beside the road (Could be near garden). They give us sample, which tasted good. So, we bought here tea 200 rupee per kg.

But finally when we returned home, we found we were wrong about those tea leaves. The tea made from it isn't dense enough. Nobody liked it, some said, they won't taste it more. But I found it’s not that bad. I mixed it with regular tea leaf and keep it warming for several minutes... then it tasted really good and the whole house covered with beautiful tea leaf smell. I liked that very much. Even I found it helps to reduce my headache and made me feel refresh.

[December 03, 2007]

Some tips

Me and Shafeen (my 4 years and 5 months old son)  at Bashundhara City Shopping  Complex

I have a tip for Dhaka Inhabitants. You should try to avoid Moghbazar to Bangla Motor road if possible, because Mouchak – Moghbazar flyover construction has started, and it blocked half of the road at the middle. Small space is free where only one row of car can pass. So to avoid terrible traffic jam we better find different way to move.

Here is a tip for the tea lovers. If you are at Bashundharacity shopping complex and you need to take tea then you can go the level 1 at the end of the row where Almas shop stands. They give tea per cup 10taka. Or you can go to the level 6 just opposite of the level1 food court. It is standing at the end of shoe shops. Their tea is also well. Or the easy way is to go the level 8 and find “Dhakya” food stall. They also provide tea.