Chai Pilgrimage

Above: Indian and Nepali biscuit wallahs & a happy biscuit dippin’ customer

The only thing better than a tasty cup of chai, is a cup of chai with some chai dipping biscuits to dip in it.  A handful of biscuits and a cup of milky masala chai can almost serve as an entire meal.  Either a good neutral-tasting biscuit, or one that harmonizes with the taste of your tea, is the preferred vehicle to absorb the chai flavor.

Fresh, ‘oven baked’ chai cookies by a biscuit wallah in Rishikesh, India

The integrity of the biscuit is also important.  You want one that can soak up a lot of chai, but that won’t fall apart and end up as dissolved confectionary sludge on the bottom of your cup.

Jenny dippin’ in Darjeeling, India

In India, Parle-G’s are the unofficial national biscuit.  They have been a sweet part of the Indian dipping ritual for over 65 years.  Even though I question the packages’ claim that they are a healthy snack, I have, on more than one occasion, sat around a chai stall and consumed an entire package with a couple cups of chai.

A Parle-G delivery truck in Benares, India

One Parle G memory we will always remember, is buying a package of Parle G’s on an Indian railway platform, only to remove the wrapper and find that somebody had sealed another package inside of a different brand with a lower rupee value.  We had to appreciate this ingenious Indian grassroots-marketing ploy.

Back home though, our diet is a bit more refined, and we shy away from white flour, refined sugar and artificial flavors.  Our personal favorite store-bought chai dipping biscuits are Heaven Scent almond windmill cookies and Mi-del ginger snaps.  The windmill cookies win out for texture, soak-ability and a size that allows multiple dips without getting your fingers wet.  They are not too sweet and have a mild flavor that complements the flavor of chai.  The ginger snaps are quite crunchy, but soften nicely after withstanding a long dip.  They bring their own sweetness and ginger flavor to the chai without introducing any conflicting taste sensations.  Both are available at most natural food stores.

If you enjoy baking, check out our Yogi Chai Biscuit post and download a colorful recipe card.