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There was comfort and sanctuary in the kaka tea shop like shade from a tall tree.[/caption]It brought back memories in the early 1980's of the Kaka tea shop at Wheeler Road, Cox Town in Bangalore a favourite haunt late in the night for a cup of tea. Kaka is a term used for a specific community from Kerala who specialise in setting up tea stalls and provide snacks at an affordable rate.
Some of the most exciting debates and discussions were at the Kaka shop whether it be politics, philosophy, science or anything under the SUN, there was always an opinion and everyone pretended to be the master. There was not internet or search engines in the eighties.
Our knowledge was gleaned from reading books, papers, magazines from both India and elsewhere in the world, the American magazine was Span, there used to be one from USSR and one from East Germany, the National Geographic and the Time Magazine, plus we had access to books in the public library at Wheeler Road, Sindhi Colony.
At the tea shop there was only one standard brew; the same tea leaves would be brewed again and again, some fresh tea leaves were added for each round of brewing. The tea powder was put in a white cloth (locally known as thorthu) and tightly bundled. Not a drop of tea liquour was allowed to remain in the cloth as it was tightly wrung after each round of brewing; the cloth itself had its own distinct colour with no evidence that it was a white cloth at the beginning of time. The quantum of milk was kept to a minimum in the tea giving it a dark brown colour.
There used to be a credit system by the owner of the Kaka tea shop for tea, biscuits and cigarettes to his trusted patrons, though he had a board in the cash counter "No Credit Allowed" .
The stall used to have a small menu of eggs in various preparations which included single omelet, double omelet and boiled which were the star items along with bread butter/jam along with a dish known as ceylonese parathas.
Our first introduction to Hindi film music was the Kaka tea shop, there used to be an old valve radio on top of the cash counter which would be tune to Radio Ceylon the most popular radio station for Hindi Music. We used to be entertained by Radio Ceylon blaring Hindi Music in the background as we continued our discussion over tea and the smokers with their cigarettes about life, careers and numerous other discussions.
liquor was not served or allowed to be consumed in the Kaka Tea Shop; only tea and snacks were allowed.
As we grow older we crossed the Road and continued our discussion over Beer at the Dolphins Bar and the Kaka Tea Shop was no longer the preferred haunt.
I still remember with joy the days spent sipping Tea at the Kaka Tea Shop at Wheelers Road; no Starbucks can replace the charm, grime and smell of a the Kaka Tea Shop at Wheeler Road, Frazer Town, Bangalore, India.
