Birbal Yadav Tea Stall
| Photo Credit: Nimesh Ved
A lot has been said about Varanasi’s lanes being home to some of the finest chai, mithai and paan one can savour. Locals affirm that some of these older stalls and shops are, akin to the ghats, very much a part of the city’s identity.Over the nine years I have lived in Varanasi, I have visited and revisited some of these stalls and shops. Initially I was blown away by the high quality. Over a period of time, I realised that at these spaces perfection is the norm. As I observed, and engaged with, the people who ran these spaces I realised they live in the moment, fully immersed in their work.Initially, I returned for the food. Over time, I realised I was returning for the people behind it.Birbal Yadav Tea StallI begin with Birbal Yadav Tea Stall, located opposite the Sarnath Museum. The milk for the tea comes from their buffaloes, so they control the source and the quality. The shop is teeming with customers by five in the morning and the younger Yadavs who run the stall, Pankaj and Suraj, arrive early enough to clean and set-up the space. Many customers here are regulars and are on a first-name basis with the owners. Besides the tea, Birbal Yadav Tea Stall is known for rabdi-bun, a bun toasted and topped with freshly made rabdi. They also sell curd and lassi.
