Have you heard of Noon Chai? It’s a dusty pink colored, salted green tea from Kashmir that is truly unique and unlike any other tea.

Ovee, who has been living in Srinagar, Kashmir for over a year, submitted this special tea. For the locals in Kashmir, Noon Chai is an integral part of their daily culture and traditions. Ovee spoke about how her mother-in-law would brew up this pink tea, recounting the memories of nostalgia.

The tea gets its rosy color by simmering green tea leaves with baking soda for a looooong time!. The extended cooking extracts the green chlorophyll color, which turns pink when it mixes with the baking soda. It’s a fascinating process.

I’m not kidding when I say making this tea is an epic process. Once you strain the concentrated tea, you mix it with warm milk and a few pinches of salt to make the final cup. The salty-savory green tea flavor contrasted so uniquely with the pink hue.

While this laborious tea-making may seem crazy, it’s clearly a beloved ritual in Kashmir’s tea culture. As Ovee explained, sharing tea is a way for people to connect, relax and hit pause. And let me tell you, sipping on that velvety, rose-hued Noon Chai did inspire me to savor the moment.

Yes, this tea requires some serious effort in the kitchen. But those moments of tranquility when savoring a mug of tea make all the work worthwhile. It’s a gentle reminder to slow down once in a while.