7. Punjabi Cha and Masala Chai

Available for over a year

Like Britain (and several other countries), India sees tea as its definitive national drink. But as Sathnam Sanghera discovers, mass market Indian tea culture was seeded, in large part, by its coloniser. With a trip to a chai stall in London and a chat with the historian Romita Ray, Sathnam charts the development of tea in India from both indigenous and imperial origins. Amid its regional diversity, how did it become India’s national drink? Producer: Paul Martin A BBC Audio Wales production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2023.