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Empire of Tea

7. Punjabi Cha and Masala Chai

Duration: 14 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 FMLatest broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 LW

Available for over a year

Like Britain (and several other countries), India sees tea as its definitive national drink. But as Sathnam Sanghera discovers, mass market Indian tea culture was seeded, in large part, by its coloniser. With a trip to a chai stall in London and a chat with the historian Romita Ray, Sathnam charts the development of tea in India from both indigenous and imperial origins. Amid its regional diversity, how did it become India’s national drink?

Produced by Paul Martin for BBC Audio Wales Show less

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