The Vital Veda Podcast: Ayurveda | Vedic Wisdom | Holistic Health & Natural Healing

← The Vital Veda Podcast: Ayurveda | Vedic Wisdom | Holistic Health & Natural Healing26 Jun 2025 · 56 min

The Real History of Chai: Ancient Ayurvedic Spices, Colonial Trade and How to Make It Properly | Mira Manek

The Real History of Chai: Ancient Ayurvedic Spices, Colonial Trade and How to Make It Properly | Mira Manek26 Jun 202556 min

Step into the aromatic world of Indian chai with Mira Manek, author of The Book of Chai and founder of Chai by Mira. In this episode, we trace the surprising history of how tea became India’s most beloved beverage - through colonial trade routes, opium, and clever British marketing. Mira shares chai-making secrets passed down through generations: from the Ayurvedic ritual of boiling milk three times, to unlocking spice potency with proper preparation (spoiler: whole ginger slices won’t cut it...