Tiwari Kesariya Thandai Corner

Chowk Santosh Tiwari recounts: “I have an LL. B. degree, and had got a job in the Railways. But my mother asked me why I was interested in a salaried job when I had a business of my own? So I started managing this business. The shop was started by my grandfather. He used to […]

Chowk

Santosh Tiwari recounts: “I have an LL. B. degree, and had got a job in the Railways. But my mother asked me why I was interested in a salaried job when I had a business of my own? So I started managing this business. The shop was started by my grandfather. He used to be a chikan embroidery craftsman. He had five sons, and he gave each of them a shop to run their own small business. Thandai is a very old tradition. Our thandai is the Banaras version. It arose from the fennel-flavoured water that people used to drink. It is made from milk and laced with almond paste, saffron, fennel, cardamom et cetera. It induces a sensation of cooling when had in hot weather. We soak the nuts and spices overnight in water and finely grind the soaked material. The paste is cooked in milk. It is a laborious job.”