No concept of fresh milk here! It is either Amul Tazza or Nestle Everyday milk powder... and that's why it is Sha Saw (red tea)! Sha is "tea" and Saw is "red" in Khasi. One cup of boiling water, perfect amount of tea leaves and optimum sugar makes a cup of steaming hot sha saw to begin your day in a perfect way! Go to local shops, homes or any offices... sha saw is what you will be offered along with some jing bam.
The concept of snacks with the tea is called "jing bam" and it is as exciting as it sounds! The kong (lady) will first offer you sha saw and then in a beautifully handcrafted squarish bamboo basket comes the a variety of jing bam to choose from...It is a confusing situation as you have to choose from a variety of yummy snacks. And you have to be quick! Rice cakes, pan cakes, pattices, puffs, cream rolls, jam buns, sweets of different kinds with samosas, bhajiya and much much more...
Sha Saw lovers (from left) Arunima, Soumya and Dhaneesh @ the Lakadong Tea Stall in Jowai
Red tea and black gram cooked in onion seed spice.
Rice pancake with sugar topping.
The size of the jing bam basket and the variety of snacks increases as you move from smaller offices to more higher rank and important offices of Meghalya! :P
Unfortunately :( I do not have any picture of the jing bam basket and the "giver of jing bam" in every office; the kong dressed in a typical checkered jain kryshah!
PS: Missing the sha saw and jing bam...
The concept of snacks with the tea is called "jing bam" and it is as exciting as it sounds! The kong (lady) will first offer you sha saw and then in a beautifully handcrafted squarish bamboo basket comes the a variety of jing bam to choose from...It is a confusing situation as you have to choose from a variety of yummy snacks. And you have to be quick! Rice cakes, pan cakes, pattices, puffs, cream rolls, jam buns, sweets of different kinds with samosas, bhajiya and much much more...
Sha Saw lovers (from left) Arunima, Soumya and Dhaneesh @ the Lakadong Tea Stall in Jowai
Lakadong Tea Stall
Sha saw is available all over Meghalaya. But we loved one place- Lakadong Tea stall, is a small tea stall in one of the crowded corner of Jowai market where you will get customized tea...light, strong, more sugar, less sugar or no sugar! Sha saw with cheeni kum was what I always asked for!Red tea and black gram cooked in onion seed spice. Rice pancake with sugar topping. Unfortunately :( I do not have any picture of the jing bam basket and the "giver of jing bam" in every office; the kong dressed in a typical checkered jain kryshah!
PS: Missing the sha saw and jing bam...
2 comments:
rather fabulous and smile inducing, this.. :D
come to think of it, it's induced hunger too... bother. not lunch time yet.
Thanks Tracy! It an awesome stimulant! :)
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