Rainy season rituals: 7 comforting Asian drinks to warm your soul
Teh tarik's theatrical pour—a metre-long arc of milky tea between containers—does more than dazzle onlookers. This pulling process, developed by Indian Muslim immigrants in the Malay Peninsula, aerates the drink, creates a creamy froth and cools it to optimal sipping temperature.
The result is a well-balanced beverage that tempers bold black tea with sweet condensed milk. When the skies darken and the air chills, a warm glass of teh tarik transforms the gloomy weather into something irresistibly cosy.
Read more: 5 teh tarik treats perfect for tea-time 3. Masala chai (spiced tea)
Above Masala chai's blend of black tea, milk and spices is perfect for the rainy season.
Originating from the Indian subcontinent, masala chai is a deeply personal creation, with every household guarding its recipe like a family heirloom. At its heart are black tea, milk and a carefully chosen mix of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, black pepper, star anise and fennel seeds.
The magic happens in the proportions and the simmering technique that allows spices to bloom in harmony with the tea. Roadside chaiwalas or tea stalls have built entire reputations on mastering this balance. Each sip reveals new layers of spice and depth that pair perfectly with the rhythm of monsoon rain. 4. Yujacha (yuja tea)
Despite its name, yujacha contains no actual tea leaves. This Korean favourite is made from yuja, a citrus fruit originally from China and now beloved across Korea and Japan, preserved in honey and/or sugar to create a fragrant marmalade.
Just a spoonful dissolved in hot water yields a sweet-tart infusion that's bright, soothing and packed with vitamin C. Often whipped up during jangma season, yujacha makes staying indoors feel like self-care rather than surrendering to the elements. 5. Wedang jahe (hot ginger drink)
This Indonesian staple combines fresh ginger with palm sugar and aromatic additions like lemongrass, pandan leaves, cardamom and cloves. It's commonly consumed during the rainy season to ward off masuk angin, which roughly translates to 'wind entering the body'—a traditional belief used to explain sudden chills and colds.
The heat from the ginger warms you up, while the palm sugar and layered spices create a complex flavour profile. During the long rainy season, wedang jahe is a comforting, immune-boosting ritual that tastes far better than any pharmacy remedy. 6. Barley tea
Made from roasted barley grains, this tea proves that comfort doesn't require caffeine or complex preparation. Barley tea offers a nutty, clean flavour that can be enjoyed hot during cold weather or stored cold for warmer moments between downpours.
In East Asian households, barley tea is served as often as water, loved for its digestive benefits, nutrients and light body that make it suitable for any time of the day. 7. Jujube tea (red date tea)
A staple in Chinese and other Asian households for thousands of years, jujube tea is made by simmering dried red dates (jujubes) in water to produce a naturally sweet, mildly fruity brew. Often enhanced with warming additions like ginger or cinnamon, this calming infusion is as nourishing as it is soothing.
Packed with antioxidants and vitamins, jujube tea supports digestion, boosts immunity and calms the nervous system, making it an ideal companion for grey, rainy season days.
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Tatler Asia
7 days ago
- Tatler Asia
Rainy season rituals: 7 comforting Asian drinks to warm your soul
2. Teh tarik (pulled tea) Teh tarik's theatrical pour—a metre-long arc of milky tea between containers—does more than dazzle onlookers. This pulling process, developed by Indian Muslim immigrants in the Malay Peninsula, aerates the drink, creates a creamy froth and cools it to optimal sipping temperature. The result is a well-balanced beverage that tempers bold black tea with sweet condensed milk. When the skies darken and the air chills, a warm glass of teh tarik transforms the gloomy weather into something irresistibly cosy. Read more: 5 teh tarik treats perfect for tea-time 3. Masala chai (spiced tea) Above Masala chai's blend of black tea, milk and spices is perfect for the rainy season. Originating from the Indian subcontinent, masala chai is a deeply personal creation, with every household guarding its recipe like a family heirloom. At its heart are black tea, milk and a carefully chosen mix of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, black pepper, star anise and fennel seeds. The magic happens in the proportions and the simmering technique that allows spices to bloom in harmony with the tea. Roadside chaiwalas or tea stalls have built entire reputations on mastering this balance. Each sip reveals new layers of spice and depth that pair perfectly with the rhythm of monsoon rain. 4. Yujacha (yuja tea) Despite its name, yujacha contains no actual tea leaves. This Korean favourite is made from yuja, a citrus fruit originally from China and now beloved across Korea and Japan, preserved in honey and/or sugar to create a fragrant marmalade. Just a spoonful dissolved in hot water yields a sweet-tart infusion that's bright, soothing and packed with vitamin C. Often whipped up during jangma season, yujacha makes staying indoors feel like self-care rather than surrendering to the elements. 5. Wedang jahe (hot ginger drink) This Indonesian staple combines fresh ginger with palm sugar and aromatic additions like lemongrass, pandan leaves, cardamom and cloves. It's commonly consumed during the rainy season to ward off masuk angin, which roughly translates to 'wind entering the body'—a traditional belief used to explain sudden chills and colds. The heat from the ginger warms you up, while the palm sugar and layered spices create a complex flavour profile. During the long rainy season, wedang jahe is a comforting, immune-boosting ritual that tastes far better than any pharmacy remedy. 6. Barley tea Made from roasted barley grains, this tea proves that comfort doesn't require caffeine or complex preparation. Barley tea offers a nutty, clean flavour that can be enjoyed hot during cold weather or stored cold for warmer moments between downpours. In East Asian households, barley tea is served as often as water, loved for its digestive benefits, nutrients and light body that make it suitable for any time of the day. 7. Jujube tea (red date tea) A staple in Chinese and other Asian households for thousands of years, jujube tea is made by simmering dried red dates (jujubes) in water to produce a naturally sweet, mildly fruity brew. Often enhanced with warming additions like ginger or cinnamon, this calming infusion is as nourishing as it is soothing. Packed with antioxidants and vitamins, jujube tea supports digestion, boosts immunity and calms the nervous system, making it an ideal companion for grey, rainy season days.
NDTV
13-06-2025
- NDTV
Vikrant Massey Clarifies His Relation With The Co-Pilot Who Died In Air India Plane Crash: "Not My Cousin"
New Delhi: Hours after the tragic Air India plane crash, Vikrant Massey shared a post on his Instagram Stories, revealing that the first operating officer Clive Kunder was his "uncle" Clifford Kunder's son. As media portals reported the officer as Vikrant's "cousin", the 12th Fail actor put up another post, clarifying the speculation. "The Kunder's are our family friends," wrote Vikrant Massey. What's Happening Vikrant Massey shared a post condoling the deaths of 241 people who were on the ill-fated Air India plane. He mentioned Clive Kunder as his "Uncle's son" in his post. After media portals reported the officer as Vikrant's cousin, the actor shared a new post on his Instagram. He wrote, "Dear friends in the media and elsewhere, the unfortunately deceased Mr Clive Kunder was NOT my cousin. The Kunder's are our family friends. Request no more speculations and let the family and loved ones grieve in peace. In his first post Vikrant wrote, "My heart breaks for the families and loved ones of the ones who lost their lives in the unimaginably tragic air crash in Ahmedabad today. "It pains even more to know that my uncle, Clifford Kunder lost his son, Clive Kunder who was the first officer operating on that fateful night." About The Plane Crash An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed immediately after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, in one of the worst ever aviation tragedies in India. There were 230 passengers, 10 crew members and two pilots on the flight that was headed to London. One person -- the passenger of seat No. 11A -- survived the crash, officials said. In a post on X at 12.41 am on Friday, Air India confirmed 241 people had died. "Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital. The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals and 1 Canadian national. The survivor is a British national of Indian origin," the airline said. In A Nutshell Hours after his first post of referring to the officer as his "uncle's son," Vikrant Massey clarified that Clive Kunder was his family friend.
New Straits Times
13-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Rescue teams comb site of Air India crash that killed at least 265
AHMEDABAD, India: Rescue teams with sniffer dogs combed the crash site Friday of a London-bound passenger jet which ploughed into a residential area of India's Ahmedabad city, killing at least 265 people on board and on the ground. One man aboard the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner -- carrying 242 passengers and crew -- miraculously survived Thursday's fiery crash, which left the tailpiece of the aircraft jutting out of the second floor of a hostel for medical staff from a nearby hospital. The nose and front wheel landed on a canteen building where students were having lunch, witnesses said. Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai said that 265 bodies had so far been counted -- suggesting at least 24 people died on the ground -- but the toll may rise as more bodies and body parts are recovered. "The official number of deceased will be declared only after DNA testing is completed", Home Minister Amit Shah said in a statement late Thursday, adding that "families whose relatives are abroad have already been informed, and their DNA samples will be taken". Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the crash of Air India flight 171 as "heartbreaking beyond words". The airline said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian on board the flight bound for London's Gatwick airport, as well as 12 crew members. Air India said the sole survivor from the plane -- a British national of Indian origin who local media named as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh -- was being treated in hospital. "He said, 'I have no idea how I exited the plane'", his brother Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, told Britain's Press Association in Leicester. In Ahmedabad, disconsolate relatives of passengers gathered Friday at an emergency centre to give DNA samples so their loved ones could be identified. Ashfaque Nanabawa, 40, said he had come to find his cousin Akeel Nanabawa, who had been aboard with his wife and three-year-old daughter. They had spoken as his cousin sat in the plane, just before takeoff. "He called us and he said: 'I am in the plane and I have boarded safely and everything was okay'. That was his last call." One woman, too grief-stricken to give her name, said her son-in-law had been killed. "My daughter doesn't know that he's no more", she said, wiping away tears. "I can't break the news to her, can someone else do that please?" The plane crashed less than a minute after takeoff, around lunchtime Thursday, after lifting barely 100 metres from the ground. The plane issued a mayday call and "crashed immediately after takeoff", the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said. Ahmedabad, the main city in India's Gujarat state, is home to around eight million people and its busy airport is surrounded by densely packed residential areas. "One half of the plane crashed into the residential building where doctors lived with their families," said Krishna, a doctor who did not give his full name. US planemaker Boeing said it was in touch with Air India and stood "ready to support them" over the incident, which a source close to the case said was the first crash for a 787 Dreamliner. The UK and US air accident investigation agencies announced they were dispatching teams to support their Indian counterparts. Tata Group, owners of Air India, offered financial aid of 10 million rupees ($117,000) to "the families of each person who has lost their life in this tragedy", as well as funds to cover medical expenses of those injured. India has suffered a series of fatal air crashes, including a 1996 disaster when two jets collided mid-air over New Delhi, killing nearly 350 people. In 2010, an Air India Express jet crashed and burst into flames at Mangalore airport in southwest India, killing 158 of the 166 passengers and crew on board. Experts said it was too early to speculate on what may have caused Thursday's crash. "It is very unlikely that the plane was overweight or carrying too much fuel," said Jason Knight, senior lecturer in fluid mechanics at the University of Portsmouth. "The aircraft is designed to be able to fly on one engine, so the most likely cause of the crash is a double engine failure. The most likely cause of a double engine failure is a bird strike." India's airline industry has boomed in recent years with Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), last month calling it "nothing short of phenomenal". The growth of its economy has made India and its 1.4 billion people the world's fourth-largest air market -- domestic and international -- with IATA projecting it will become the third biggest within the decade. - AFP
