What did we have before Tea and Coffee?

Many of you must have wondered about this…I did too. Then late last year, I came across this fascinating Yahoo! groups discussion on the subject…Some excerpts below

*** What did we have before Tea or Coffee? ***

ANIL KURNOOL: What was the hot beverage that we (natives of Bharatha) consumed, before the advent of Teas and Coffees into this land by wandering nomads of Europe?

Why is it that Tea is consumed mostly in northern parts of this continent, while coffee is preferred in the southern parts?

***

RAVI: While not being an expert or having any sources to quote, but from personal knowledge of village life in Kerala 60 years ago and from tales passed on by parents and grandparents there were no coffee or tea to break the fast in those days. Cooked Rice made the previous night was immersed in water and eaten the first thing in the morning before going to the fields for a hard days work. I understand that this rice was supposed to have better properties compared to ordinary cooked rice. The same was accompanied by mangos pickled in brine.

As to the preponderance of Coffee over Tea in South India, perhaps more coffee estates were there in South compared to North and also I remember that we grew coffee even in our houses in the plains though its ideal habitat is on the hills with cooler climate. Tea plants were not normally seen in any houses. I remember my grand mother picking the berries, drying them and crushing them after roasting. We as children helped by eating the fleshy outer portion and giving the seed for drying ! Good taste it had ! Of course coffee was strictly for elders.

***

KAMLESH: About five decades back, in Punjab and U.P. people used to have milk or buttermilk in the morning with bread bun, parathas with pickles or butter.

Even today this is the breakfast in rural areas. Farmers used to eat large sized gram flour roties with butter and pickles.

Tea came to be used in the evening around the fifties and much later as a breakfast drink. Even today, tea time is separate from the breakfast time. This is north Indian eating patterns

***

RNI: In my view the original question “as far as TEA is concerned” is wrong! It was not introduced to India by European nomads or whoever.

History says, a Buddhist monk by name Dharmakirti from South India (Kanchipuram?) went to China to spread Buddhism. It was common practice among the monks of those days to drink tea to keep awake during meditation. He carried a stock of the plants also with him to China. This might not have been the same leaf as we know today, but had similar effect as a beverage.

However, Coffee, (called Bundu in the 19th Century) like Cashew was introduced by the Portugese to India. These are native to South America. I am writing from memory. Hence details have to be checked up, but broadly my info is correct.

***

RAMESH KRISHNAMURTHY:

History says, a Buddhist monk by name Dharmakirti from South India (Kanchipuram?) went to China to spread Buddhism. It was common  practice among the monks of those days to drink tea to keep awake during meditation.

Not Dharmakirti but Bodhidharma, and he was indeed from Kanchipuram. Bodhidharma is credited with having introduced martial arts to China, the forerunner of what is today called Kung-fu. Dharmakirti was a Bauddha logician, author of the Pramanavartika.

However, Coffee, (called Bundu in the 19th Century) like Cashew was introduced by the Portugese to India. These are native to South America. I am writing from memory.

Coffee is native to Africa and not South America, and it was introduced to Europe by Arab traders. I am not sure how it came to India. I am told that certain varieties of coffee are native to southern India, but it is not clear whether it was consumed as a beverage. Certainly the present popularity of coffee is a relatively
recent phenomenon.

As to what we had before tea/coffee, it appears to me that the consumption of such beverages is associated with a relatively sedentary lifestyle, and may not have been of much relevance in pre-industrial societies. I could be mistaken though.

***

BHALCHANDRA THATTEY:  If one refers to the Sanskrit Cookery Books he can find several non_alcoholic and alcoholic drinks and method of their preparation. Many of them are mentioned in Ayurveda. FANTs i.e. decoctions of various types were also popular.

There are 8 types of buttermilk itself.
There are several drinks made from various fruits.
Tea and coffee is not the end of the drinks world.

***

KINI: In the Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka, i.e. Mangalore, we drink a beverage called ‘KASHAAYA’.

It is a powder made from a variety of spices like Jeera, Badeshep, Coriandar, Shoonth (dried ginger), Jaiphal etc.

These are fried on a tawa (without oil) then powered in a mixer. The beverage is then prepared as we now make tea.

While boiling it one can add either jaggery (which is better health- wise) or sugar.

***

SAMPATH: I am of the opinion that there was no common or universal drink as we have today. I think it varied with the varnas and ashrama. The farmers had water in which rice was soaked overnight or unfermented toddy or palm juice. The brahmins did not have anything till lunch time, and ate or drank something only after their daily rituals and pujas. The middle varnas, perhaps had more variety and choices in the selection of drinks.

Both milk and buttermilk with added sugar, salt or spices must have been very common. Even today, diluted, thin buttermilk is offered to guests in some traditional south indian families, in place of coffee or tea.

“kashayam” prepared with spices and herbs was taken to ward off mild illnesses such as cough, cold, fever, etc.

Even ‘kanji’ or gruel prepared with rice, barley, grains and wheat was a common drink, till at least 40 years ago. The ‘kanji’ is again back in the supermarket shelves as health drink.

***

STITHAPRAJNA: Panaka or lemonade may be.

Also the Beladahannina Panaka is quite popular during Rama navami days in Karnataka. Bela is variety of fruit. Panaka made of this fruit is delicious.

Incidentally I have heard a very interesting anecdote by an elderly gentleman who was a high official in Indian Government, about his visit to Russia.

He said:

When I was visiting Russian officials in Russia they were all sitting for drinks and the Russians brought out their drinks and insisted that I have their national drink, I poured my drink from my flask in to my glass and raising my glass with a flourish I said “You drink your VODKA, I drink my PANKA” and I drank my national drink Panka with great style, pride and satisfaction and they respected and appreciated my sentiments

I can still visualize his face beaming with pride and self-respect.

Panka is made of lemon juice and a dash of saffron and cardamom with sugar or jaggery. Panka was always available in summer kept in a cool clay jug to offer to athithis.

Even now it is quite common in south like Lassi in the north.

*** End of Excerpts ***

Please add your thoughts and comments – especially first hand experiences/accounts from the elders in your families.

I am very curious to hear more. Thanks.

UPDATE: Am putting the link to Mrinal Pande’s article here so that it becomes searchable:

Slightly off-topic but interesting nevertheless. <a href=”http://www.livemint.com/2009/02/09221126/Even-the-sutras-allowed-some-a.html” rel=”nofollow”>Even the sutras allowed some alcohol on happy occasions</a> by Mrinal Pande
<blockquote>…Vedic literature mentions several popular drinks such as Kilala (a sweet fermented alcoholic drink), and Masara (filtered rice gruel liquor much like the Handiya still drunk by the tribals in central India) and Madira (a honey-based drink).

Ramayana refers to four types of liquors, Kautilya’s Arthshastra (fourth century BC) mentions a dozen and Charaka, the medicine man, refers to 84 kinds of alcoholic drinks. Kautilya mentions that in his time, there were liquor vends in most villages and janpads (districts).
Rice, barley, honey, sugar cane products, sap of coconut and palmyra trees and numerous sweet fruits (ber, grapes, mangoes and dates) and flowers (Mahua and Kadamba) were used to create intoxicating brews. Dhataki flowers were used to tinge extracts with eye-catching red colour.</blockquote>