Kulhads enhance flavour of tea

Mehak Mudassir

The ban on the single use plastic (SUP) has hit the businesses hard as alternative materials being used for a variety of purposes do not match the virtues of plastic. Several tea stalls have begun using kulhad or the mud cups to serve tea and other beverages. It is not that these cups are being seen in the market for the first time.

In fact, eateries serving mishit doi (sweet curd), malaiyyo or nimish had found the mud cups ideal as these, besides being eco-friendly, also keep the content cool for a considerable amount of time. Now that the SUP ban is being enforced, even tea and coffee are being served in them.

If one could remember, Lalu Prasad Yadav had introduced kulhads in the trains of the Indian Railways to serve tea while he held the Railway portfolio in UPA cabinet. Even otherwise, in rural railway stations of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, mud cups had been in use by the private tea vendors. Mainly products of village based artisans, kulhads sustain the pottery industry run by rural potters.

Coming cheap, they can easily be discarded as biodegradable waste after a single use. There are other advantages too. They emit an earthy scent which adds flavor to the tea. Mud being a bad conductor of heat, they are easy to handle and hold the warm contents which do not lose the warmth till the last sip. With the plastic ban, the tea stalls in Bengaluru are phasing out the plastic cups and introducing the kulhads.

Sharon tea stall owner, Daniel says, kulhads are ideal for hot beverages too. However, there are several issues that do not encourage tea vending stalls to use them. For instance, they cannot be stacked just as steel, plastic, paper or even glass cups can be stacked with each of them going into the other. They would take larger space to be stacked before use. Thirdly, they are breakable and require cautious handling. It is also essential that customers are advised to crush these mud cups after use lest they be washed and used again. Secondly, they are heavy and add to the disposable garbage in urban areas. But perhaps, their eco-friendly character scores over all these disadvantages.

Another tea seller, Mukaram, of Arabian Tea in Frazer town says, ”Kulhads are safe compared to glass containers because you don’t have to worry about the germs and bacteria lingering around the cup”. “The taste of tea in Kulhad is enhanced due to the aroma of the clay used in making it,” he adds. Some tea lovers would even like to carry the kulhads home, wash them and use it for growing potted plants in the window sills.

Neha, a regular visitor at the Arabian Tea, is one such customer who does not bat an eyelid while packing these kulhads into her bag after a simple wash. She is effulgent in her praise for the tea served in earthenware as she savours the fragrance of the baked clay emitted by the tea.