Chaiwala

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A chaiwala (also transliterated as chaiwalah or chaiwallah; Urdu: چائےوالا, Hindi: चायवाला) is a tea-seller in the Indian subcontinent. They are an integral part of subcontinent culture. Chai is the Hindi and Urdu word for "tea", as in masala chai, and wala indicates the person performing the task, so chaiwala is a street vendor of tea. Chaiwalas, as an entrepreneurial group, tend to move from different regions of India to run their small business in major cities. They typically prepare the tea by boiling a mixture of water and milk, often with a spice mixture called chai masala, then add tea leaves and sugar, and finally strain the drink into containers or a tea kettle. Tea is usually served in small glasses or unglazed clay teacups (kulhar), but some chaiwala have started to use plastic cups instead. Traditionally, tea was made in brass vessels.

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