A Window into the Past: The Culinary World of 1911
The recipe compilation Banquets of the Nations was compiled by Robert H. Christie, and published in 1911. It is a thorough and extraordinary exploration of regional cuisines at a moment in history when Western palates were becoming more adventurous and curious about global flavors.
The star of the recipe that we're sharing today, found on the Afghanistan menu, is cardamom, which is derived from the seeds of plants related to ginger. Cardamom offers a distinctive flavor that enhances both sweet and savory dishes. Its versatility shines in curries, desserts, meat dishes, and beverages like coffee and tea.
Here is this collection’s instructions for Cardamom Tea:
Kakullah Chai. (Cardamom Tea.)
Infuse some Indian tea along with a few cardamoms, and at same time put in plenty of sugar syrup. The tea has to be very weak, very sweet, and very strongly flavoured with cardamoms.
Two cups have to be taken, thereafter a cup of plain tea is taken to correct the palate.
Cardamom Tea is a sweet and aromatic beverage that can be found all over Central and Southern Asia. In this case, the instructions indicate that it's made by infusing a relatively light tea with a generous amount of sugar syrup and a strong flavor of cardamom. A stronger brew may compete with the delicate flavor of cardamom. The recipe also suggests drinking two cups of this spiced tea, followed by a cup of plain tea in order to cleanse the palate.