As a little girl I was nicknamed Sneezy. Unlike other names from the fairytales, this one annoyed me. Winter mornings were tedious and rather noisy in my household as I began each morning with literally 101 sneezes. My grandmother was an Ayurveda expert who loved weeding her vegetable patch at 4am, followed by sun salutations at 5am. Granny concocted a special drink for me to stop my morning splattering of germs and so began my addiction to the wonderful hot cuppa known as the masala chai — what I call the East’s answer to the morning coffee.

“Masala” means spice and “chai” or “cha” means brewed tea. For centuries, India has been the home of this aromatic concoction. Early-morning sing-song calls from chaiwallahs (tea vendors) lure many to the little tea stalls on the curbside, making them popular gathering places to discuss cricket scores and politics.

A typical masala chai is a blend of loose-leaf tea, sweetened full-cream milk and ground spices (chai masala). These spices include cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and freshly grated nutmeg. While families in India prefer to grind their own tailor-made mixes of spices, commercial varieties including liquid concentrates and powdered spice packages are readily available in healthfood stores, spice shops and most supermarkets.

In addition to the great taste of this hot beverage, there are several therapeutic benefits to consuming a morning and evening mug of freshly brewed, aromatic masala chai. Both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasise strengthening the digestive fire to promote a smooth and healthy flow of energy in the body. This digestive fire is known as qi in Chinese and prana in Ayurveda.

These ancient holistic principles say healthy digestion is vital in body fat reduction and elimination of phlegm (termed kapha in Ayurveda) and excess fluid. It is the accumulation of excess fluid, phlegm and fats that leads to symptoms of dis-ease and all kinds of imbalances in the body.

In about 2000 scientific studies done in the recent past on the benefits of tea alone, it is agreed that black tea contains powerful antioxidants. Not only can a good masala chai cuppa be an everyday encounter with the exotic, it may also help fight and prevent diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s while lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, tea may:

• Alleviate bloating by stimulating bowel motion.
• Aid in weight control by stimulating metabolism
• Help restore mental alertness or wakefulness when experiencing fatigue or drowsiness
• Alleviate nausea, vomiting or dizziness associated with motion
• Boost the immune system
• Reduce stress as it soothes the nervous system
• Promote calmness and clarity
• Boost stamina
• Provide natural antioxidants