Chai Tea…Explained

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Although chai tea is just about my least favorite tea, I still appreciate it because it is tea — and I like all things about tea!  I am just not a spice-tea fan.  I know so many people who are, though.  They are ordering up chai lattes and all sorts of interesting variations of the drink!  In fact, my chai drinking friends could probably tell me a thing or two about their favorite drink!  I know the basics though, and thought that I would share.  Interestingly enough, many of our American tea and coffee shops have their own version of the $6 Chai Latte, whereas in India, asking for chai tea is just as normal as asking for a cup of coffee!  Here are three important facts that pretty much sum it all up!

The name:  Most of us in the Western world call it just, “Chai.”  It’s actually, “masala chai.”  This simply means — spicy tea. Chai is the Hindu word for “tea.”

The origin:  Chai tea comes from India.

The ingredients:  Usually, the most notable ingredients are cloves, black pepper, cinnamon and cardamom, milk, sugar and of course—- black tea (such as Assam).

MAKE YOUR OWN!!

1/3 water
2/3 milk
1 teaspoon of tea for each cup measure (plus a bit extra)

good pinch of freshly shredded ginger root
several cardamom pods
a small piece clove (optional)
sugar –sweeten to your tastes

SLOWLY boil all ingredients in a small saucepan. Make sure you do not “scald” the milk.  This will make it taste burnt!  Continuously stir and swirl the mixture until  the desired strength is reached and the spices have enough time to steep their flavors into the mixture. When pouring into teacups, be sure to use a strainer!