Chai is a milky spiced black tea that originated in India. Chai actually means "tea" in Hindi. The spices vary and there is no specific chai recipe. The most common spices are black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and cardamom. Together these spices are sometimes called masala chai. Chai is served with a sweetener, usually sugar. Chai can be found in most large supermarkets packaged as tea bags. The bags contain the tea and spices. The addition of milk and sweetener is left to the consumer. Loose leaf chai may be found in specialty shops or online. Again, the addition of milk and sweetener is left to the consumer.
Chai has all the health benefits of its spices as well as the benefits of regular black tea.
Green chai is a variant of green tea. It contains green tea and spices but is not properly called chai, which uses only black tea. A decaffeinated black tea can be substituted for regular black tea. If you substitute steamed milk for regular milk, it is called a chai latte.
It is possible to make your own chai recipe. Use loose leaf black tea, milk and either masala chai or your own blend of freshly ground spices. This is more time consuming but may result in a chai more suited to your taste.
What to Look for
If chai is new to you, you may want to begin with packaged chai, either in tea bag form or loose leaf. Read the label to determine if the chai has any spice that you find objectionable. Remember that the further down the list of ingredients something is listed, the less of it there is. For example, you might like the taste of cinnamon but not ginger. Look for a chai that has no ginger or that has ginger towards the end of the list of ingredients. If you find ingredients that can be called neither tea nor spice, you may have found a chai tea that has been formulated for Western tastes. If you read the ingredients and think you might like it, try it. While it may not be real chai, it may help you decide whether to experiment further.
Common Pitfalls
If you are new to chai, be prepared for a definitely spicy flavor. Remember that chai contains black pepper and other strong spices. Don't brew the tea for too long as it may become unpleasantly strong. As with all black tea, brew only 3 to 5 minutes. This also applies if you are brewing loose leaf chai. You may also find that you need less tea or more water than you are accustomed to using with your regular type of tea.
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