Chiya: A Short Guide to Tea Culture in Nepal

Nothing in Nepal happens without tea. Deals are discussed over it, guests are welcomed with it, bus journeys are punctuated by it, and a day's work begins and ends with it. The word is chiya, and the roadside stalls that sell it are the country's true public living rooms.

The standard cup

Order "chiya" with no further detail and you will get dudh chiya, milk tea. It is made by boiling everything together in one pot: water, strong black tea dust or granules, milk, and a generous amount of sugar. The mixture is brought up to a rolling boil several times, sometimes poured back and forth from a height to froth it, then strained into a small glass or cup.

The result is strong, creamy and very sweet. It is closer to a hot snack than a delicate infusion, and on a cold morning it is perfect.

Variations to ask for

• Masala chiya: milk tea with crushed spices, usually cardamom, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and black pepper. Most tourist cafés serve this; at local stalls you may need to ask.

• Kalo chiya: black tea without milk, typically sweetened.

• Kagati chiya: black tea with lemon or lime, often with a pinch of salt or black pepper. Refreshing in hot weather.

• Aduwa chiya: ginger tea, good for a sore throat on the trail.

• Chini kam: "less sugar". Say this when ordering if you find the standard cup too sweet. "Chini nahalnu" means "no sugar".

• Tato pani: just hot water, which trekkers often order with their own tea bags.

Butter tea

In communities of Tibetan heritage, including Sherpa villages and the neighbourhoods around Boudhanath, you will be offered su chiya, butter tea. Brick tea is boiled, then churned with butter and salt into a pale, savoury drink that resembles thin broth. It is an acquired taste and wonderfully warming at altitude. Your cup will be topped up after every sip unless you leave it full.

The tea shop

A typical stall consists of a kerosene or gas burner, a blackened kettle, a tin of biscuits, a tray of fried snacks and a couple of benches. People of every background sit side by side for the price of a few rupees. Mid-afternoon is the main tea break, usually with something to eat: a samosa, a doughnut-like fried bread, boiled eggs or spiced chickpeas.

Sit down, drink slowly and listen. You will hear news, politics and gossip, and you will often be drawn into conversation.

Tea as hospitality

Enter a home, a shop where you are a serious customer or an office, and tea appears. Refusing outright can seem cold. If you do not want any, accept the cup and take a sip or two. In many villages the first question a host asks is whether you have had your tea, which is as much a greeting as an enquiry.

When a host pours, wait until it is offered to you, and receive the cup with your right hand or both hands.

Where Nepal's tea is grown

Nepal produces two broad kinds of tea.

Orthodox tea comes from the eastern hills, chiefly Ilam, Panchthar, Dhankuta and Terhathum, where gardens sit between about 1,000 and 2,200 metres. The leaves are hand-picked and rolled whole, yielding fragrant, light-coloured teas comparable to those of neighbouring Darjeeling. Spring's first flush is floral and brisk; summer's second flush is fuller; autumn teas are mellow. Producers also make green, white and oolong styles.

CTC tea, short for "crush, tear, curl", is grown in the hot lowlands of Jhapa in the far south-east. It is processed into small, hard granules that brew quickly into a strong, dark liquor. This is what goes into everyday milk tea.

Buying tea to take home

Loose-leaf orthodox tea is one of the best souvenirs from Nepal: light, inexpensive and useful.

• Buy from a dedicated tea shop where you can smell and taste before choosing. Kathmandu and Pokhara have several.

• Ask where the tea is from, which flush it is and when it was picked. A good seller knows.

• Choose sealed foil packets for freshness.

• Small farmer cooperatives sell direct in the growing regions and through some city shops.

Be cautious of boxes labelled only "Himalayan tea" in souvenir stalls, which may be old or blended.

A habit worth adopting

Stop for tea whenever a local would: at a pass, at a bus halt, when it rains, when you are lost, when you have arrived. It costs almost nothing, it restores energy, and it gives you a reason to sit among people going about their day. In a country where most activity begins with someone asking whether you have had your tea, the right answer is usually "not yet".