"Now that you do this, you can make it for me"
A US Indian doctor has annoyed social media users after a video showed him making his version of chai.
Chai is a staple drink in India, with every household using their own spice blend to suit their taste.
The popular drink is prominent in other countries and this is normally rejoiced by Indians unless it is not made correctly.
This was the case with neurosurgeon Dr Sanjay Gupta, who is also the chief medical correspondent for CNN.
In a video, he is seen teaching his daughters how to make chai.
Dr Gupta first tells his daughters: “I used to make chai for my parents all the time.
“Now that you do this, you can make it for me, all the time.”
He went on to say that the recipe was passed through generations.
Dr Gupta explains that the cups he is using are from his mother.
He continues: “It’s pretty fun to make chai with your daughters and just to go through an activity like that, sort of think about traditions and how they’re really meaningful.
“It’s the drink itself, but it’s everything that goes into it.”
He and his daughters go through the ingredients, which include brown sugar, ginger and cardamom. One of his daughters grinds the ingredients in a pestle and mortar.
Viewers were not happy when they saw that Dr Gupta was using tea bags instead of loose tea.
The tea is then brought to a boil before the heat is reduced. Dr Gupta then adds a cup of half and half, which is equal parts milk and cream.
The chai is stirred a final time and brought to a boil again.
In the video, Dr Gupta says:
“It was interesting to go back with my mom to Pakistan and India and to sort of see where she learned the traditions in the first place, and it’s slightly different in Pakistan and India.
“This tea that we’re drinking today is really her own creation.”
The chai then poured into a teapot, however, viewers were outraged by the final product.
Social media users pointed out that the chai looked very pale compared to the tea Indians are used to drinking.
The trio enjoyed the tea, with Dr Gupta saying that the flavour is “almost like molasses, but better”.
Continuing family tradition, Dr. Sanjay Gupta teaches his daughters the chai recipe he learned from his mother. https://t.co/wVDFVQ6l67 pic.twitter.com/M4gxsjGxqu
— CNN (@CNN) December 9, 2021
However, social media users were not convinced by the tea.
Indians made their thoughts known and poked fun at Dr Gupta for westernising the staple drink.
One person said: “God, what is this abomination!?!!
“Ugggh… I never thought saah or chai will ever leave me with a bitter aftertaste but thank you NOT Dr Gupta.”
“Also, trust Americans to use a silicon ladle to ‘stir’ the tea.”
Another wrote: “That’s not chai!!!”
Others pointed out the tea’s pale colour.
One person said: “That’s doodh-patti bro. Not tea, chai-tea or whatever.”
Another user posted: “Sanjay, that looks like flavoured milk, not chai. Lol.”
Despite the negative comments, others enjoyed the fact that Dr Gupta was sharing a part of his family legacy with his daughters.
A user said: “I actually think this is wholesome.
“I’m not a very good chai maker (switched to coffee when I moved to the US), but I hope one day I can teach my kids.”
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