Chai Tea or Tea Tea?

“What’s chai?,” this was a question I often asked myself while I worked at my family’s coffeeshop. Until recently I had no clue what chai meant, nor where to even find a place to try a cup. Chai, as I learned, means tea in many countries and each one has their own basic recipe. What majority of the world means when they order, or make a chai tea is masala chai from India. The basic ingredients for any chai tea are black tea with heavy milk, spices, and sweetener. Specific spices used vary, like the language and customs, from region to region and person to person. Common spices used are cardamon, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and pepper.

In an article by the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, masala chai is a typical North Indian drink often made from Darjeeling Tea and Assma Tea, although the specific recipe varies depending on who is making the tea. Traditionally it is served hot in the morning and after a heavy meal, but is also popular iced. The spices used helps the digestive system to continue working properly, which is why it is had after meals. There has also been research done on the health benefits of black tea like helping protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease.

This growing interest of mine with chai stemmed from my boyfriend raving for awhile about how delicious chai tea tastes. We both love tea and he has been trying to convince me to try it because chai teas are one of his favorites. He often made it at home, but I would generally drank mainly sencha then. Recently though he has worn me down and I must say I am quite taken with it now. At home he uses a ⅔ to ⅓ ratio of maharaja chai oolong tea mixed with a mild rooibos tea and steeped at 195 degrees for 4 to 6 minutes with half a tablespoon of raw sugar. His chai tea has a little less caffeine in it since rooibos is a red herbal infused tea from South Africa and is caffeine free.

Despite having a man who makes it from scratch, the first time I tried chai was at Starbucks and decided to just give it a try. They make their chai tea with hot water and spiced milk as a latte. Some people recommend ordering it with no water and two ristretto shots, or with extra milk instead. Adding vanilla was another suggestion I heard from a barista. I first tried an iced chai tea latte, which tasted a little sweeter and more refreshing than when I later had it hot. It had a sort of warm sandy color, which made me think of sunlight reflecting off the sand at the beach. Although now with the weather getting colder, I prefer ordering Starbucks’ chai tea latte hot. There is a soothing homey feeling, plus it doesn’t taste as sweet.

Now the only thing left to do is compare chai recipes from places besides Starbucks, even though they do make a great latte.

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