Chai

The Chinese had two words for tea 梌 (tú) and 茶 (chá). In the west "tú" eventually became tea in English, thé in French, tee in German, and so forth. In the east "chá" became chè in Vietnam, Çay in Turkey, and Chai in India.

So as you can see, Chai simply means tea. However, when English speakers say "chai" they are most certainly referring to "Masala Chai", which means "spiced tea" and is a common drink in India. The spices used can be almost anything, but in general they include ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and clove.

One traditional method of making masala chai involves simmering a mixture of milk and water with loose leaf tea black tea, whole spices, and honey or sugar. The mixture is then strained before serving. This method can be tricky to master, as the spices and tea infuse the liquid at different rates.


Chai Making Concepts 

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There are as many different chai blends as households making it. As such this section aims to give you the general theory's behind making chai. If your looking for specific instructions, there are some recipes below.

Ingredients

Tea: A strong Assam or Ceylon black tea is often used when making chai. Black tea works well because it is not overpowered by the spices and sweeteners. That does not mean other types cant be used, in Kashmir chai is sometimes made with gunpowder green tea, and for a caffeine free variation Rooibos can be used. 

Spices: All masala chai has ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and clove as basic ingredients. Other "warm" spices commonly used are star anise, black peppercorns, fennel, vanilla, chocolate, nutmeg, cocoa, liquorice, mint, and rose. 

Milk: Whole milk is used for its richness, but non-dairy milk (soy, rice, hemp, almond) will also do. 

Sweetener: Don’t limit yourself to white sugar, though it is often used. Experiment with the caramelized notes from brown sugar, the more complex slight acidity of honey, or the healthy sweetness of agave. You may be surprised to find yourself using a lot of sweetener, the spices are rich, and need a lot to bring the flavors out. 

Preparation

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Additional Advice

Coming Soon