Issue #16 of the Chai Bhai newsletter. December retrospective. Pour something special.
Twelve Months, One Cup at a Time
When we started sending this newsletter, the premise was simple: once a month, slow down and think seriously about chai. In 2025, that meant exploring Holi rituals and Independence Day history, the science of ginger and the neuroscience of tea breaks, the chai wallahs of Varanasi and the Irani cafés of Pune.
Here is what stood out.
The Recipe of the Year: Diwali Masala Chai
The feedback on Issue #14's saffron-and-cardamom Diwali chai was extraordinary — the most-shared recipe we have ever published. Several readers wrote to say they made it for the first time and it has become their go-to for hosting.
The version for the year-end holidays — when you want something that feels ceremonial without being complicated:
Cold-weather celebration chai (serves 6):
- 750ml whole milk + 350ml water
- 3 tsp Assam second flush (or a strong orthodox blend)
- 8 cardamom pods, cracked
- 1 tsp saffron, bloomed in 2 tbsp warm milk
- 6 slices ginger
- 1.5 cinnamon sticks
- A pinch of nutmeg (freshly grated at the end)
- Jaggery to taste
Follow the standard method. Add saffron milk and nutmeg after straining. The colour is a deep amber gold; the fragrance fills the room. This is the chai for December evenings.
The Place of the Year: Hyderabad's Irani Cafés
Our Places coverage in 2025 took us across India, but the response to the Hyderabad Irani chai piece — and the Pune café article — was unlike anything else we published. Readers wrote in from Hyderabad saying they had forwarded the piece to relatives abroad. One reader emailed from Birmingham saying she had visited Nimrah Café after reading our piece and it was "exactly as described, and more."
The Irani café tradition is disappearing. We will keep writing about it.
The Science Finding of the Year: The DMN and the Chai Break
The Issue #15 piece on neuroscience and the chai break generated the most substantial response we have had — including a message from a behavioural economist at a UK university who said they had cited the Default Mode Network angle in a paper. The science of intentional breaks is compelling and the application to chai practice is direct.
If you share one piece from this newsletter in 2026, make it that one.
What We Are Watching in 2026
Specialty Indian tea in the West: The market for high-quality, estate-direct Indian teas — first flush Darjeeling, orthodox Assam, and the Nilgiri special grades — is growing significantly in the UK and US. We will be covering this closely.
The OCI and diaspora connection to India: The Indian diaspora in the UK and US is increasingly reconnecting with Indian food culture — including its tea culture. The trend toward authentic Indian ingredients (jaggery over white sugar, proper cardamom over ground powder, Assam CTC over generic "Indian tea" blends) is accelerating.
Chai as restaurant culture: The number of chai-forward cafes in London, New York, and Toronto is increasing sharply. Some are excellent. Some are selling powder and calling it tradition. We will be reviewing both, honestly.
“2025 was a year of learning that chai is bigger than a beverage — it is a lens through which you can understand almost any aspect of Indian culture. 2026 will be more of the same. We are not close to done.
Happy New Year. Make a good cup on the first day of January. It sets the tone.
Chai piyo, zindagi jiyo.
— Chai Bhai