There is a version of chai that exists only in certain kitchens — simmered too long on purpose, poured when it's almost too strong, drunk in the first ten minutes of the morning before the day has any weight to it.
Masala Chai is that version.Not the café version. Not the Instagram version with oat milk and cinnamon dust. The real thing — ginger that catches in the back of the throat, cardamom that lingers five minutes after the cup is gone, black tea reduced down to something almost bitter, softened at the last moment by warm milk. This is a candle for people who know the difference.
