Noon Chai

Kashmiri noon chai from Pakistan with its distinctive pink color

Noon Chai (also called Salt tea, Sheer Chai, Pink tea, Kashmiri tea) is a traditional tea beverage made in Kashmir. It is made from special tea leaves, milk and salt^[1]. A pinch of baking soda is added to give it a pink color. It is prepared with pistachios and cardamom and is consumed primarily at special occasions, weddings, and during the winter months when it is sold in many kiosks.

Etymology

By itself, chai or cha is merely the generic word for "tea" in much of South Asia (Persian: چای, Urdu: چاۓ , cāy, Marathi: चहा cahā, Gujarati ચા chā, Bengali: চা cha) and many other parts of the world.^[2] (For the etymology of chai and related words see Etymology and cognates of tea.)

Noon (Kashmiri: نون) is the Kashmiri word for salt. Kashmiri Muslims in Pakistan refer to this particular tea as "noon chai," reflecting their Persian ancestry, whereas Kashmiri Pandits use the Central Asian term "sheer chai." ^[3]

Also See

Butter tea

References

1. ^ Noon Chai Recipie and History at Life-n-Such lifensuch.com
2. ^ Merriam-Webster Online - Chai
3. ^ In praise of Kashmir: chai, Kashmiri style