Chai vs Coffee: Can a Tea Devotee Handle a Winter Morning Brew?
Writing Prompt 14: The taste of coffee on a cold winter morning.
The taste of coffee is not my taste.
Okay, I know that you’re all probably giving me “Bombastic side eyes”, but I am a tea person.*aggressively drinks tea.*
After all, I’m loyal to my Indian culture.
Our house runs on tea. Setting the rhythm for every scene, from simmering summer mornings to monsoon-lashed evenings.
From fiery confrontations to joyous welcome parties, there’s always one mug (okay, maybe five mugs) held by someone observing the drama whilst sipping tea, and the more I look, the harder it is for me to tell if they’re enjoying the tea more than the drama itself.
Solutions for headaches to political debates are “Ek cup chai laado”. (Translation: Bring me a cup of tea).
So the taste of tea is soothing. It’s the Indian version of Tylenol.
We give tea to our 6-month-olds. I am not even kidding. It’s such a common practice here that if you’re surprised, you’re naive.
Nevertheless, what would the taste of coffee be on a cold winter morning?
Just because I’m a tea person doesn’t mean I don’t drink coffee. Cold coffee is my all-time favorite for pulling up late-nighters. But even a tea devotee like me can’t deny the allure of coffee on a winter morning.
So to answer the question, I’d feel productive.
Maybe it’s the image of those ASMR videos, coffee clinking in sleek mugs, steam forming ethereal halos, productivity bubbling with every swirl. I picture myself, armed with a latte and a to-do list, conquering emails like a boss.
Of course, reality usually involves me getting lost in a rabbit hole of cat videos after the first sip.
And with all the obsession with the aesthetics that people have synonymized with coffee, productivity & magic are one of them.
Let’s not forget that my last read book was on a cafe that allows you to time travel with the rule that you must return before the coffee gets cold. Perks of being a coffee enthusiast. I wonder if it was chai? That rule would question its existence.
Even if my chai-fueled mornings are more about snuggling under blankets with a good book, there’s a certain comfort in knowing the coffee world exists, just a mug away.
And who knows, maybe someday I’ll find my own rhythm with coffee, a slow sip amidst the steam, a quiet appreciation for its bitter bite.
But for now, my heart belongs to the warm embrace of chai, the taste of home in every cup. And that, my friends, is a feeling no latte can rival.
P.S: I can’t believe I had 2 articles with the word “coffee”. My loyalty is wavering.
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