How one minimal, mighty beverage took a city by storm
It’s a mystery, how something as unremarkable, for lack of a better word, as milk tea, became a symbol of social synergy in the UAE, but it’s also not – the origins of this beverage will tell you exactly what you need to understand why chai culture is steaming and rife in this country.
For all the time I have spent here, through my teenage-hood, a cup of tea and social interactions have always been a marriage – a speedy corporate connection, a tête-à -tête with a friend, a solo soirée, somehow, somewhere, a piping hot drink is always present in the footnotes, a cup of masala chai warming up our insides and the colour of our conversations.
This exact interaction is how Justin Joseph and Ahmed Kazim conceptualised Project Chaiwala – a love letter to the minimal, mighty karak chai. Many years ago, Justin and Ahmed were going through the motions of corporate life together, working in corporate advisory, when discussions of starting a venture came forward – all of them of course, over a cup of karak, and that’s when they had their eureka moment.
“That was eight years ago,” reminisces Ahmed.
From there, Project Chaiwala has grown into bustling outlets in Cinema Akil and Terminal 3, as well as an extensive retail offerings including loose tea, unique blends, cold brews, merchandise, a network and a community of patrons celebrating real tea and real people.
“We were also inspired by the chaiwalas of India,” says Justin. “Hence the name ‘Project Chaiwala’, and the way they call out on stations and shops, and we wanted to follow that real craft.”
The Origins, for the Past and the Present
In the context of the UAE, chai came to this region with the South Asian migrants a very long time ago and became the thread of a social fabric entirely its own. Far away from familiarity, with not much to entertain them besides swirling dust, these expats found their own and eventually a community over this shared activity involving the silken drink, because that’s what it was and that’s what it is now.
That was the past, but in the present, Ahmed and Kazim wanted to do things the right way. They took a trip to India, toured all the tea-rich lands, sampling the best of the best, perfecting their recipe and formulating a brew that would honour the truth of the drink. They brought back superior harvest, chose premium ingredients and put love into the process.
“In Dubai, there is a misconception around karak,” explains Justin. “That it’s generally a low-quality beverage, made without much thought. We wanted to change that, and create a high-quality product that will show people that chai doesn’t have to be something cheap.”
“We want to elevate the karak experience,” adds Ahmed.
Karak for the New Age
Karak chai, derived from the Hindi words kadak chai – meaning strong tea, can be found on countless corners, down winding streets, and spawning under many-a-shaded awning in the UAE. It comes out of pavement-bound establishments of every size, in the hands of runners tending to throngs of customers – couples in cars, groups of ladies and gents hanging around – you wonder, what makes this madness.
The diasporic nature, in every sense of the word, of the drink, is what makes it so popular with the masses, so much so that it is now not just a South Asian thing, but an everyone thing, and it’s that bonding chemical that’s forging social connections within people and communities here.
This is also the ethos of Justin and Ahmed’s relationship – both personal and professional. Justin, an Indian expat, and Ahmed, an Emirati, connected over a cup of karak, and eventually channeled that connection into their shared passions. Two people, from two different nationalities, celebrating a shared urban culture.
When asked how they approach innovating an institution so fiercely loved and protected, they reiterate their commitment to spotlighting the source.
“We want to reintroduce chai to the world,” says Ahmed. “We’ve collaborated with Lipton, have a line of iced chai and fruit teas, and loose blends like Karak Aslee and Karak Arabica. We want to show a new generation of chai drinkers new ways to enjoy chai, with a focus on the source and quality.”
“There’s no spot in Dubai where we go and feel like we’ve had a good cup of chai,” adds Justin. “We want to change that.”
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Deeply passionate about food, culture and community, Manaal loves telling extraordinary stories of ordinary people. Besides sniffing out a tale to tell, her favourite things to do include binging true crime documentaries, chasing cats on the streets and curating a good outfit.
