This Land Belongs to the People of Its Soil - Slime and Tea Pairing

THIS LAND BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE OF ITS SOIL //

✋ wood glue jelly x crunch (silica + lava rock + black sugar scrub) + diy clay "mouth"

👃open-air market chai stand with notes of hand-blended chai, ginger, leather, spiced honey, cacao bean, turmeric, sandalwood, hint of coconut milk

🍵tea pairing: sunshine chai by davidstea: ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, carob, rooibos, coconut, sweet blackberry leaves, black peppercorn, cloves, cardamom, chili peppers

*comes with 3 teaspoons of loose leaf tea in an opaque resealable bag to keep it fresh -- makes roughly 2-3 cups of tea)

DO NOT ADD TEA TO SLIME

"This land will not bow to tyranny; it belongs to the people of its soil, not the invader.” - Begum Hazrat Mahal 

In the 19th century, British colonizers sought to break China’s monopoly on tea by introducing cultivation in India. They established tea plantations in Assam, Darjeeling, and the Nilgiris, enslaving Indigenous people, some brought from other regions or neighboring countries like China. These laborers endured harsh conditions, low wages, and debt bondage designed to control and exploit them. To enhance their rations of bland British-preferred tea, workers added milk, sugar, and local spices like cardamom, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon, creating masala chai, a symbol of resistance against imperialism.

Chai wallahs, vendors who served this tea, represent the power of community, functioning as storytellers, mediators, and informal therapists. They crossed caste boundaries, serving tea to all while symbolizing the resilience of the working class. In the face of British efforts to silence Indian voices, the act of serving chai (and the gossip and punching-up humor that came with it) became a form of resistance. Chai wallahs reclaimed public space that the British attempted to control, fostering freedom of speech and connection, while the chai itself unified people, reminding them of their shared identity.