How Mild British Tea Became Masala Chai, the Spiced Soul of India

At the time whenMadonna's "Like a Virgin" started steadily pumping out of American radios in the 1980s, Lata Mangeshkar's"Shayad Meri Shaadi Ka Khayal" was all the rage in India. It's a syrupy song about a girl telling her boyfriend that her mother thinks she should get married, and that's why he is invited for tea. Since then, "Chai pe bulaya hai" has become a popular phrase to suggest an arranged marriage meeting for a couple, in a country where 90 percent of marriages are organized by families. Both on- and off-screen, a cup of masala chai is what a potential groom is served when he meets a potential bride for the first time under the surveillance of their families.