Chai Shops in India

There has been a recent trend of chai shops sprouting up at every nook and corner. While the quintessential chai shop has been around since time immemorial, the new trend is a little different. The shops are bigger and attract college youth and other youngsters. They gather around there, standing and chatting and gulping down cups of thick, sweet tea. 

Maybe you can these a middle-class man's Starbucks! 

The sad thing is that Covid-19 restrictions forced many of these shops to shut down. But hopefully, these will revive and be restored to their former glory. Most of these pictures are from Pune.

This one is a chai shop in Belgaon, Maharshtra.

How to recognize a fake Tata Tetley tea bag

We were served fake Tata Tetley tea in a resort in Gujarat. We knew the difference immediately as we use Tata Tetley at home all the time.

You can see the off white crumpled tea bag on the left of the image which shows the poor quality of the paper. The logo used is the same but the colour of the blue paper label is also a little different. We brought the fake tea bags home and then placed it side by side with the original tea bags. Without an original to compare to, it was not easy to tell the difference by looking at it. It was the taste that made us immediately realise that it was fake.

It was not easy to spot the difference in the way the actual tea looks. The one on the left is the fake one. After dunking in the tea bag the color of the tea turned dark almost immediately but the genuine tea took a fairly long time to get the golden colour. It is obvious that a colouring substance was used. The fake tea had no taste at all and that is how we knew it was spurious tea. We ordered another batch of tea, and then took the fake tea bags home as samples. Then compared it to the original Tata Tetley tea bags. The difference was obvious.

You might also like Genuine 500 rupee notes mistaken for fake
More interesting images: Should you take Multi Vitamins and Mineral tablets? or Coke Calories or Muesli Nutrition Comparison and misleading labelling
or try any of the labels below this post.

Coke Calories

400 ml of coke is 170kcal, as it says so clearly on the pack, on the top left side of the label, just above the brand name Coca Cola. This contains 44 gms of sugar which = 10 teaspoons of sugar. All the best to those who drink this poison! All bottled drinks should carry a calorie label.

Not surprising considering that so much of it is just sugar. But wait, the main ingredient is carbonated water and then comes the sugar. And naturally to balance out all this acidic mix, they need an acidity regulator which is the third ingredient. And then the natural colours and flavous. What one can be sure of is that there is nothing natural about this drink. Alcohol is more natural. Banning coke is a better idea than banning alcohol.

You might also like: Obesity statistics of the world or Images of overweight people or Obesity silhouettes  or Sketches and images of feet on a weighing machine
Or another high calorie food - Sausages and Fries or Pastries Croissants and cheesecake or Indian Sweets or Mithai or Chocolate Donuts photograph and illustration

More unhealthy food: Processed foods in India or Biscuit packs photos or Instant Noodles Stock Photo

Or try images of Muesli Nutrition Comparison and misleading labelling

Toddy or Kallu, a palm alcoholic drink

Photos of the milky and cloudy palm wine called Toddy called Kallu in Tamil. It is also known as palm toddy. It is an alcoholic beverage made from the sap of some type of date palms or coconut trees. It has a strange taste for those who have never had it. It tastes strongly of coconut and is slightly acidic in taste. It is available very cheaply in the southern states although its sale is restricted to government shops in Kerala. Toddy has to be consumed the same day as it is produced as afterwards it becomes sour and even more acidic.

A bottle of Toddy bought at a store in Kerala.

A close up of this slightly sour strong tasting alcoholic drink which is popular with the locals.

Related Images: Beer shops in small towns in India or Alcohol and hard drinks photographs or Wine bottles and a wine bar or  Coconut water vendor in India

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Beer glasses close-ups

Close up shots of frothing beer in glasses.

A more fruity draft beer being poured into a glass from a tap.

You might also like to see images of a Microbrewery in Pune and Bangalore or Beer in jugs, bottles, and glasses cut-outs or Beer shops in small towns in India or photos of Drinking in a beer bar or pub
Or check out all photos filed under the label Alcohol

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Drinking in a beer bar or pub

A pub called Toits in Bangalore. This picture shows the row of alcohol bottles stacked on a shelf behind the bar. A customer is sitting on a bar chair.

A closeup of a bartender dispensing freshly brewed beer for a customer.

This is a photograph of a pub in Bangor, Wales, in the United Kingdom. Mostly crowded with youngsters the bar serves delicious eats too.

A bar serving alcohol in Goa, India. Two women customers are sitting at the bar.

Related Images: Beer in jugs, bottles, and glasses (cut-outs) or Beer shops in small towns in India or Alcohol and hard drinks photographs or Microbrewery in Pune and Bangalore

Wine Glasses

These are images of wine glasses of different shapes and sizes kept upside down on a glass shelf. Shiny large wine glasses against a darl red and gray background.

A close-up shiny transparent wine glasses with their legs up and face down. Some short, some long.

Two wine glasses set on a dining table with plates, napkins and a salt and pepper shakers. The lighting in the restaurant has a pinkish hue giving the image the pinkish tone.

Wine barrels photo

Wine barrels made of oak wood impart a particular color, flavor, and texture to wine. Certain types of wine are aged and/or fermented in oak barrels.

Related Images: Wine bottles and a wine bar or Winery Pictures 
Or try the label Alcohol for more pictures of liquor.

Vineyard photos

These are photographs of a Sula vineyard near Nashik in Maharashtra, India. 

This is a panoramic view of the vineyard.

Related Photos: Sugarcane fields or Rice fields near Chennai or Palm Plantations of Malaysia
For a panoramic view of cultivated fields: Large images of open fields for headers

Colorful synthetic drinks sold on the streets of India

These are photographs of the common man's Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite. Colored sherbet made out of sugar syrup and chemical colours and flavours many of which are banned. These drinks are inexpensive, sold openly on the streets, and it is mostly the poor who buy them. Lemons are used to add taste.

A boy is behind the wheels of this cart selling synthetic drinks. When asked he tells me that it is nothing but sugar syrup and colors and flavours. A dash of lemon adds taste.

The same boy posing for a picture. Not the colourful decoration of the hand-cart. It attracts customers, particularly children.

These people appear as if they are in the middle of nowhere, but actually they are in a holiday spot called Matheran. Here the drinks sellers cater to a slightly well-off crowd, and people who don't mind spending while on a holiday. This one makes a masala mix of various bottled cold drinks like Sprite and Coke. Colors and favors are used in the masala too at times and so is lemon. Basically these drinks are a concoction of the various bottled drinks and some local flavours. Masala Thums Up is popular and so is Kala Khatta soda. Kala Khatta or Chuski is made from Jamun, a small purple fruit. 

Another view of the same drinks vendor. In this frame her son is helping her out.

Related Photos: Road-side food stalls or street food or Coconut water vendor in India or Processed Juices in India or Sugarcane juice vendors
Or try this! Coke on a Swiss mountain

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Winery Pictures

These are photographs of a wine-making factory, the Sula winery in Nasik, Maharashtra India. The process of making wine involves the fermentation of grapes, and then blending and aging of the juice. These particular photographs are of the Sula Winery at Nashik. The grapes used are from the vineyards owned by the winery.

Here is a glimpse of inside the winery. It is in these massive steel containers that the crushed grapes are kept for several weeks until they ferment the right way. It was interesting to find out that grapes are never washed before they go into the fermentation process. They say that they are clean and that the pesticide is never used before the plucking, but living in India I have my doubts.

A closer look at the huge steel drums where the crushed grapes are stored until they ferment.

This is the place where the wine is bottled after being blended. The blending process is as important as the fermentation as different blends are what make each wine distinct. These machines are very large and the figures of the workers can be seen here near the machine, supervising the automated process. Hygiene is maintained by using caps and gloves although the wine is not handled directly.

Related Images:  Wine bottles and a wine bar or Alcohol and hard drinks photographs or Beer shops in small towns in India  or Beer in jugs, bottles, and glasses

Coke on a Swiss mountain

On our trip to Interlaken in Switzerland we stopped a bit on the railway station to have a drink. But when we saw the view the coca-cola was forgotten. First time I had coke in the swiss alps and I think the last time too! 

Related Images: Photos taken from Jungfrau, a summit in the Swiss Alps or Swiss Alps from the air or Ice Palace Switzerland  

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Wine bottles and a wine bar

These are pictures of wine in bottles. These are different types or wine made by the Sula company at Nasik. the photographs were shot on a visit to their factory and the vineyards.

This is a bar with wine bottles of different hue. A wine bar.

Wine bottles are best kept horizontally. They are kept here in a showcase at the factory.

These are bottles of red wine.

Related Images: Alcohol and hard drinks photographs or Beer shops in small towns in India or Beer in jugs, bottles, and glasses

Road-side food stalls or street food

These photographs are of road-side food vendors or street food on the streets of India. The first one is of a small eatery on the pavement. It provides different food items ranging from snacks like omelettes and bhujia to tea and coffee. When it's hot it's usually hygienic as it's fried.

This image was caught from a speeding car and there is some motion blur evident in the photo. It shows a group of youngsters snacking on bhel and other snacks at a road-side food stall in Pune. It is not always healthy to eat street food. If you have to eat on the streets, best to eat something cooked or fried in front of you.

Eating bhutta or roasted corn cobs from the road side stalls is very common in India. Coal is used to roast the corn. These are a group of young girls enjoying this tasty snack. The bhutta is sprinkled with salk and chilli or chat powder to make it tasty. It's usually clean and hygienic to eat like this.

Sliced fruits which are left uncovered are often sold by vendors. If flies and other insects get on it before you do (not to mention the dirt and dust!) then there is a likelihood of a stomach infection.

This is a juice stall on the pavements of Mumbai. The mixie or food processor filled with fruit can be seen in the background of his trolley or cart. You can see how the juice vendor is washing the utensils. It is unlikely that he cleans his equipment properly. However patron don't seem to care! Even though this is a sure way to get jaundice or gastroenteritis!

This man selling lemon juice on the pavement near Fort or Fountain has a cleaner place. However, as there is no running water it is unlikely that proper hygiene is being maintained. A big block of ice is on the left of his cart. A food stall selling wada pav is in the background. (This photo was shot two years ago)

Related Images: Coconut water vendor in India or Road side vendors in India blocking the pavements or Crowded market places in India or Vegetable Markets in India

Coconut water vendor in India

Here are photographs of a coconut water vendor doing his job in India. Drinking coconut water is popular and some like eating the white fleshy kernel as well. A healthy and safe drink, and fresh too! Nutritional benefits are from the plenty of vitamins in it like C and Riboflavin and also coconut water is a good source of minerals including calcium.

Here is the vendor about to slice open the selected coconut. Around 250 gms of coconut water gives you just 50 calories and therefore it is a great low fat drink and very nutritious.

In this picture he cuts it open. A small opening has been made for a straw to go in.

The coconut water vendor puts a straw into the ripe orange coconut. Unfortunately he touches the tip of the straw with his hands, but people don't seem to mind!

Here he is handing the coconut over to the customer. Job over!

Related Photos: Toddy or Kallu, a palm alcoholic drink or Sugarcane juice vendors or Colorful synthetic drinks sold on the streets of India or Road-side food stalls or street food or Processed Juices in India or check the labels underneath this post.
Or try this! Coke on a Swiss mountain

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The shady bars of Mumbai

Here are some photographs of the small not so respectable drinking places. This is a place which you cannot enter if you are well-dressed or sophisticated. Well, you can but you will feel very out of place and could be shunted out because someone will be suspicious as to your motives. A security guard is nearly always present outside such places. These are places where you can get some cheap entertainment. Dance shows are regular in places like these, and this is where you usually find "bar girls".

Usually you will find taxis parked right at the entrance, to carry drunk customers and their friends. Other common fixtures around the bars are paan and ghutka shops.

Processed Juices in India

Here are some images of fruit juices in tetrapacks. These juices are available in India. The brands seen in these pictures are Tropicana, Real Activ and Saint fruit juices, and these do not contain sugar. Prices of juices without added sugar range from Rs 65/- to Rs 85/. All these juices are reconstituted and are not fresh fruit juices.

Here are some pictures of juices in tetrapacks which are not sugar-free. Safal, Leh Berry and Real all have added sugar. The Real Activ brand has no sugar. All these are available in India and prices range from Rs 45/- to Rs 65/-

Related Images: Fruit Vendors vs supermarkets  or Juices and Milk display at supermarkets in India or Instant Noodles Stock Photo or Ingredients of instant noodles and instant soups (Junk food) which will tell you about the many chemicals we consume!

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Beer in jugs, bottles, and glasses cut-outs

Here are photographs of beer bottles, jugs frothing with beer, and chilled glasses brimming to the top with beer. Beer in the daylight and beer in candlelight!

This photo was shot in Switzerland, in an outdoor restaurant at Interlaken. The background was cluttered and has been removed.

This photograph is a cut-out of a jug of golden beer full to the brim with the white froth visible on the rim and a glass of beer standing next to it. Beer jug and glass on a white background.

This is a jug of beer held by someone. Only the hand and the large jug which is half filled with white froth. 

This is cut-out of a hand pouring golden transparent beer into a glass. Beer jug and glass on a white background.

The candlelight pictures were shot on a beach in Goa, at an outdoor shack. The golden glow of the lamp casts light on an open bottle of chilled Kingfisher beer in the foreground, and the pitch dark of the night forms the background of the picture. A salt-shaker and pepper shaker lie on the table.

Two beer glasses against a dark background.

These are empty beer bottles of different colours.

Related Images: Beer shops in small towns in India or Alcohol and hard drinks photographs or Microbrewery in Pune and Bangalore

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