{"id":74505,"date":"2025-08-29T19:22:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T09:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=74505"},"modified":"2026-02-20T22:00:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T11:00:27","slug":"chai-lord-masala-chai-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/chai-lord-masala-chai-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Chai Lord takes us into the culture of India\u2019s national drink\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Intrepid product manager, Saurabh Joshi, also known as Chai Lord (on Instagram at least), spent 12 years leading travellers around India to show them what makes his home country so magical. According to him, drinking chai together is a big part of any Indian adventure.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saurabh got his first taste of India\u2019s chai scene as a child in the northwestern city of Jaipur. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘My father was a cricket coach and I used to go with him to sessions. Whenever he would return, he would stop at chai shops to catch up with other cricket coaches,’ he recalls. ‘That was my introduction to having chai outside of my home.’ <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saurabh goes onto add that this ritual has stayed with him. ‘I [still] drink one chai every day outside of my house or office, just because I want to live in that environment,’ Saurabh says. ‘I don’t even need company\u2026 you just go and see the theatre for five minutes.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chances are you\u2019ve sipped on a chai (latte) before, but for Saurabh and many locals in India, chai is more than a hot drink \u2013 it\u2019s a big part of family and social life. <\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Saurabh doesn\u2019t drink, so as an adult, meeting up for chai is kind of like having a beer with friends. ‘It’s just like going to a pub,’ he says. He shares there\u2019s something ritualistic about sipping on the hot drink, and it\u2019s a great way to enjoy people-watching solo, too.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chances are you\u2019ve sipped on a chai (latte) before, but for Saurabh and many locals in India<\/a>, chai is more than a hot drink \u2013 it\u2019s a big part of family and social life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

He explains that chai is the great uniting force \u2013 it brings people from different walks of life together. The comfort and simplicity of the drink makes it a memorable everyday experience. ‘There\u2019s no frills around it, no pretense,’ he says. ‘It\u2019s a drink for half a dollar.’ <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many kinds of chai made from ingredients from all over India. In the northeast, assam chai is a stronger blend. In the West Bengal region, Darjeeling \u2013 a black tea \u2013 is common. Tulsi chai is known for its health benefits, brewed with holy basil. These are just a few varieties; depending on where you go, there will be a chai unique to the place and the people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Masala chai is made by adding spices, such as green cardamom and fresh ginger to black tea while it\u2019s brewing. It brings together elements from every corner of India. ‘The spices come from down south; the tea is coming from the Northeast; the milk is coming from Gujarat and Punjab,’ Saurabh says. ‘It\u2019s probably the most Indian thing you could have.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

For Saurabh, making chai is an important form of self-expression. His Instagram moniker, Chai Lord<\/a>, is inspired by Osho, an Indian philosopher and spiritual leader renowned for his teachings on establishment, human psychology and spiritual experience.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘[Osho] says that the real form of God, he sees in creativity\u2026 For me, [when] I prepare my chai, it’s like I’m living my creativity.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>
View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/blockquote>