Cafe culture of Pakistan: Old and new

The problem with the elites, universally, is their self-assumed guardianship of culture, values, traditions and institutions. Some even would argue that they are the bearers, the keepers and sustainers of culture. This is exactly the aristocratic, conservative mindset that prevails in every society. Another problem with this conventional elitism is that it accepts hierarchy as a natural way of life, and it is quite understandable, as they sit on the top of the social pyramid.

In many ways, it is a class issue when you look at pricey places, like country clubs, restaurants, and cafes that only the rich can afford. The very idea of the club is that it is only for the members — people of the same class and stature. Pakistani society by many counts is more stratified, as its elite culture is rooted in two different but parallel traditions — feudal aristocratic and colonial bureaucratic. The social and cultural life of the elite, that now includes business-industrial sections as well, is exclusive and set quite apart from the ordinary folks.

In such hierarchical societies, the intellectuals, middle class, and the people at large carve out their own social spaces. Actually, popular culture — the general attitudes and beliefs of the people — is the most authentic and real, having roots in history and long traditions. Elite culture, on the other hand, looks like an artificial transplant that imitates a foreign one, as the local rulers who replaced colonial masters cannot shake off the colonial mindset. For this reason, the clash of cultures is more obvious and striking in many post-colonial states than in it was during colonial rule. Of course, they have an elite or ruling class, but the most authentic culture is popular culture expressed in sports, music entertainment and cafes.

Anyone can drop there to get a cup of coffee, refill and sit there to chat or work on their computer. Such cafes around campuses and marketplaces in the United States and Europe have best standards and are affordable for anyone and cater to any client regardless of their economic and social class.

In Pakistan, popular cafe culture is as old as the introduction of tea in the subcontinent by the British, and has expanded from urban areas to every nook and corner of the country.

Popular culture — the general attitudes and beliefs of the people — is the most authentic and real, having roots in history and long traditions. Elite culture, on the other hand, looks like an artificial transplant that imitates a foreign one, as the local rulers who replaced colonial masters cannot shake off the colonial mindset.

Rasul Bakhsh Rais

Cafes, in my view, are not about having a cup of tea, but getting together, meeting friends, and talking, and that too endlessly over issues and non-issues. Villagers during a lean agricultural season, men in their golden years, members of the professional rural class, mechanics, drivers, and everyone else is fond of spending time in cafes. The cafes are not posh and shiny, but offer some of the best tea one can imagine.

My best tea has always been at roadside khokhas (huts or cottages). I have never seen coffee being prepared or served there. Unlike in Japanese or China, preparing tea is ritual-free here, but requires a great skill and experience to generate an aroma, taste and color by mixing ingredients in the right manner. At many popular places of this type, the recipe and the mix remain a closely guarded secret.

In growing affluence and globalization, we have witnessed the proliferation of international chains of coffee houses serving also light dishes and bakery products. As they charge international prices, they have become the preserve of the elites, including new rich and urban professionals from the upper middle classes. Their growth in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad has been phenomenal, and every now and then we see a new outlet opening on the sides of ones already in operation. There are clusters in many posh areas of these cities where people from higher social classes mingle.

Interestingly, in the same vicinity, we see traditional chaikhanas (tea houses) where the clientele is from the working and lower middle classes. The standards vary greatly, but general preference is for doudh-patti (tea boiled in milk) and rich in sugar. This is also the standard in rural cafes, where a preferred cup of tea may qualify for a hot, liquid sweet dish. It is an addiction for most of Pakistanis, accounting for roughly $600 million in tea imports annually.

For a purist tea drinker, it is sometimes hard to find a cup of tea with the true aroma and bitter, biting original taste. Pakistani tea, if not whitened with thick milk, would rival black coffee. But who cares about the taste when you are with friends, talking, gossiping, laughing and exchanging notes. The joy is not in the cup — it is the company and ambiance of the place that matter.

*Rasul Bakhsh Rais is Professor of Political Science in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, LUMS, Lahore. His latest book is “Islam, Ethnicity and Power Politics: Constructing Pakistan’s National Identity” (Oxford University Press, 2017).
Twitter: @RasulRais