Persian Tea | Chai

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Episode #9, co-hosts Bita and Beata talk about Persian tea (chai) as a cultural ceremony and discuss how to prepare it, occasions to drink it, and modern versions of having tea.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to Make and Serve Persian Tea | Chai</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Traditional 2 kettle method - one with tea leaves, strong concentrated brew; one with hot water for diluting and keeping tea hot</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pour the concentrated brewed tea in a clear glass first and top it off with plain boiling water </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Drinking plain hot water or hot water with mint leaves (to avoid caffeine and still drink a pleasant hot beverage at tea time)</span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Modern methods for preparing Persian tea and Types of tea</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Boiling water electrically and modern receptacles for brewing</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Types of tea: any black tea; Earl Grey, Darljaleen, Irish Breakfast, English Breakfast, pre-mixed Persian blends with Cardamom</span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Differentiation between Indian Chai and Persian Chai</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Persian Chai typically has only one spice, cardamom and no cream or dairy</span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Enjoy with Sweets</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Sugar, sugar cubes, cookies, any sweets | shirini</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Persian cookies:  2 very common cookies often packaged together;  Persian rice flour cookies and Persian chickpea cookies</span></li> </ul> <