people

Tea Shops of Chittagong

It’s probably no secret that one of my favourite activities in Chittagong is drinking tea. You may be thinking well, he’s British, so it kind of figures. Along with queuing (standing in line) and in depth discussions about the weather, we Brits love nothing more than a hot brew. Drinking tea; It’s what we do. When we’re upset, confused, nervous, celebrating, commiserating, pontificating, procrastinating, gossiping, etc, etc….we put the kettle on, and we go straight for the teabags.

Well, here in Chittagong there seems to be a similar culture. One of the main differences being however, that tea drinking is a far more public event. Groups of men and women (but usually men given the culture) can be found far and wide across the city (and the country of course) sipping on hot, sweet tea, and I often end up becoming a member of one of these groups. In all honesty the tea here in Bangladesh is ok, but it’s not so much the tea that draws me in, but rather the experience that surrounds it.

I love the scene and the way life is played out over cups of tea. The comings and goings, the cross section of diverse characters, the energy, the humour, the mystery, and the undulating pace of each individual experience. The tea stalls/shops come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and it’s incredible just how many exist here. I could go on and on trying to describe it in words, but recently I decided it would be far easier, and probably a much greater sensory experience to present Chittagong’s tea drinking through a series of images.

Thus, in the past two weeks I have wandered around the city visiting a vast array of Cha-er dokan (tea shops) and here are the photos I captured. It’s also safe to say that in excess of twenty cups of tea were consumed in the process! I should also state that whilst in some photos the people do not look overly happy about the image being taken, I always make a point of checking with people (often 2-3 times) that they are ok for me to take the photo. From my experience it is very common for the people I’ve met to switch to their most serious expression when the photo is taken.

A common scene found across the city and country

‘Adda’ – informal conversations on a quiet day

A variety of snacks to accompany your tea

This shop is as wide and as deep as the photo suggests

The roadside tea shop

Bananas, bread and tea

Beside the rail tracks, the tea shack – a community centre

Learning the trade early

One of the noisier tea shops – located by the side of a frequently congested main road

TMT – a larger establishment with a reputation for fine tea

One of the many tea sellers who populate this city

A bustling tea/food shop

The rickshawallah’s break

Discussing the day over early evening cha

The hub of a road or area

A common snack here in Chittagong

Evening entertainment at the tea shop

No finer way to spend 10 minutes

The essentials

Watching the world go by

A small cup of tea and condensed milk greatness

Tea shop faces

The mobile teawallah

And finally in an ode to tea drinking here is a song from one of my favourite bands, Kula Shaker, who have captured the magic of a nice cup of tea magically. Enjoy!