Mystic Chai Spiced Tea is a refreshing blend of tea and exotic spices, available in both hot and cold forms. It is a staple in the US, accounting for 84 percent of all tea consumed in 2019. The tea is traditionally made from Assam and Darjeeling teas. The product is popular in Mexico and San Luis Potosí, with a Best Sellers Rank of 125,500 in Grocery and Gourmet Food.
The Mystic Chai Spiced Tea Mix – 2 Lbs (2 Packs) is a popular choice among customers. The Organic Cold Brew Black Tea Concentrate is currently back in stores, and it is estimated to be available this year. The flavor name is Mystic Spiced.
Key Essentials, an innovative R&D/Manufacturing company, produces Mystic Chai in three types. The product is available in six 2 lb. cans and is available as Big Train Chai Tea mix. However, the product has been discontinued at stores, and some customers have reported that it may be due to a shortage.
It is believed that the vanilla flavor has not been seen in the product. The product is considered one of the best chai teas they have ever had, and it is available in both hot and cold forms. The product usually comes back within 4 weeks, but the vanilla flavor has not been seen.
Returns are accepted within 30 days, and the seller pays return shipping. The product is a great value for money and is a great way to unwind from a busy day.
📹 MASTERCLASS IN CHAI | How to make the perfect masala chai | Indian style tea | Food with Chetna
Perfectly made masala chai, easy to prepare and the best warming drink. You can find the written recipe by following this link; …
Is spiced chai tea healthy?
Chai tea is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help prevent diseases. Its spices, including ginger and cinnamon, promote digestive health, reduce bloating, and alleviate nausea. L-theanine, an amino acid, can reduce stress and anxiety, while black tea, a main ingredient, contains caffeine, which improves focus and mental alertness. Overall, chai tea is a beneficial beverage for overall health and well-being.
What is the famous tea in Russia?
Tea is a significant part of Russian culture, with black tea being the most common and green tea becoming more popular. The Russian Caravan, a type of tea imported from China via a camel caravan, is the traditional type of tea in Russia. It is brewed and can be served sweet, hot, or cold, and is traditionally taken at afternoon tea. Russian tea has become an all-day drink, especially at the end of meals, served with dessert. A notable aspect of Russian tea culture is the samovar, which was used to boil water for brewing until the mid-20th century.
A legend claims that Russian people first came in contact with tea in 1567 when the Cossack Atamans Petrov and Yalyshev visited China. This legend is popularized in the Tales of the Russian People by Ivan Sakharov, but modern historians generally consider the manuscript to be fake. Tea culture accelerated in 1638 when a Mongolian ruler donated four poods of tea to Tsar Michael I. In 1679, Russia concluded a treaty on regular tea supplies from China via camel caravan in exchange for furs.
The Chinese ambassador to Moscow gifted several chests of tea to Alexis I. However, the difficult trade route made the cost of tea extremely high, making it available only to royalty and the very wealthy of Russia.
Is chai Indian or Russian?
Masala chai, or mixed-spice tea, is a popular beverage in South Asia, originating from India. It is made by brewing black tea in milk and water, sweetening with sugar, and adding aromatic herbs and spices. The term chai originates from the Chinese word for tea, cha, and is commonly referred to as chai tea or simply chai. Originating in India, the beverage has gained worldwide popularity and is now a feature in many coffee and tea houses. Chai latte or chai tea latte is made with steamed milk, similar to a caffè latte but mixed with a spiced tea concentrate instead of espresso.
Tea was introduced to India by the British as a popular beverage, but historically, Indians viewed tea as a herbal medicine rather than a recreational beverage. The beverage has gained worldwide popularity and is often prepared unspiced.
Is Chai Tea from China?
Chai, a popular Indian beverage, has its origins in over 5, 000 years when a king in India ordered a healing spiced beverage for Ayurveda, a traditional medicinal practice. Ginger, black pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise were believed to stimulate digestion, relieve pain, and support circulation and respiratory function. As the beverage spread across India, various spices were used to prepare it. The original version of “masala chai” did not contain Camellia sinensis tea leaves, but later added milk and sugar.
The addition of black tea leaves, milk, and sugar was popularized in the mid-1800s when the Camellia sinensis assamica tea plant variety was discovered in India and cultivated by the British, who wanted strong black tea with milk and sugar.
Why was chai banned?
In 1994, the Israeli cabinet banned Kach and Kahane Chai under 1948 anti-terrorism laws due to their support of Baruch Goldstein’s massacre of 29 Palestinians at the Cave of the Patriarchs. Many of their leaders, including Noam Federman, spent over six months in Israeli jail without being indicted. Yigal Amir, who assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, was in contact with “EYAL”, a group linked to Kach and Kahane Chai. Binyamin Ze’ev Kahane and his wife were killed in a Palestinian ambush in December 2000.
Following the ban, the movements officially disbanded, and the former Kahane Chai leadership formed the Kahane Movement, which maintains the Kahane website, kahane. org. The Kahane Movement is listed on the United States’ list of terrorist organizations as an alias for “Kach”, though the group denies this.
What is in mystic chai spiced tea?
The recipe comprises a number of ingredients, including sugar, nonfat milk, non-dairy creamer, tea powder blend, honey granules, and spice blend. In addition, it incorporates both natural and artificial ingredients. Additionally, the recipe incorporates black tea, dandelion, sugar, and cinnamon.
Why is it not chai tea?
The author explains that the term “chai tea” is redundant in Hindi and other languages spoken in India and Pakistan, as it simply means “tea. tea”. Masala Chai, or spice tea, is a specific type of chai and has numerous recipe variations based on regional tendencies and familial traditions. The author, who has been making chai for 16 years, doesn’t correct customers who order “chai tea” at their farmers’ market booth due to their lack of cultural experience and not being of Indian descent. They also recognize that their customers are respectful and well-meaning, and they believe the correct term is “chai”.
What is American chai tea?
Chai is a popular beverage in India, consumed in trains, streets, and sari shops. In America, “chai” is a flavor of tea with predominantly cinnamon or cardamom notes. In India, chai is the standard way of preparing tea, derived from the Hindi word “tea”. Chai culture developed during British colonization, with tea from Assam being a major commodity. As tea consumption in India grew, Indians took the British preparation of tea, black with milk and sugar, and added spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. The term “chai” has become synonymous with tea in India, and the Indians continue to enjoy this sweet, spicy, and milky beverage in various settings.
What is the difference between chai tea and spiced chai tea?
Chai tea and masala chai are both made with black tea, but their main difference lies in the spices used in their preparation. Chai tea is black tea with milk and sugar, while masala chai is prepared with a blend of spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and black pepper. These spices are mixed with milk and sugar to create a rich, flavorful tea beverage. Both chai and masala chai are often confused due to their origins from black tea.
Many cafés sell the spiced tea beverage known as masala chai but call it chai tea, as it is widely accepted under this name. To prepare both teas at home, it is essential to ask the barista if it is a traditional chai tea or if it is prepared with spices.
Why do Americans say chai tea?
Chai tea, a type of tea, is often referred to as “chai tea” by Americans. The term “tea” originates from the Min dialect in China, which was borrowed from Hokkien speakers in Formosa, present-day Taiwan, by the Dutch East India Company during the 17th century. The Dutch also borrowed the Min pronunciation for tea to other languages, including English, French, Spanish, and German. Different Chinese dialects have different words for “tea”, such as “zo” or “dzo” in Wu dialect and “cha” in Mandarin.
Cantonese, a Chinese dialect spoken in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macau, is pronounced as “chai”. The Portuguese, who established ports in Macau, adopted the Cantonese pronunciation and spread it to India, where they had colonies at the time.
Why do Russians call tea chai?
The name of tea in different languages depends on the route it was first traded into. When tea first traveled to Arab countries and Russia, the Mandarin word cha spread with the goods. In Persian, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic, Tibetan, Turkish, and Russian languages, the word settled as cha. Portuguese traders first bought tea from China through Macao, where the Mandarin word for tea became ch’a in Cantonese. Dutch tea ships used the local Amoy word te, pronounced “tay”, and changed it to thee.
As the Dutch were responsible for trading tea to other European countries, the oriental beverage became known as tea or tee in English, thé in French, thee in German, te in Italian, Spanish, Danish, Norwegian, Hungarian, and Malay, tee in Finnish, tey in Tamil, thay in Singhalese, and Thea to scientists.
📹 This Chai Is Seriously ADDICTIVE
Karak Chai is one of the most popular drinks in the Gulf Countries of the Middle East, I’d even say this gulf chai karak is Addictive.
As a non-Indian I got so impressed by your drawers for spices! I used to live in a university dorm with an Indian girl, and she made me some chai for the first time (fun fact: we, russians also call tea “chai”), we cooked for eachother our local dishes and it was super fun. I found your article, because I got nostalgic of my student days. I still remember the day she moved in our room and started unpacking, and I was so surprised of her taking out a huge box of different spices, which probably took 1/4th of her luggage😄I’m happy that now we can cook almost any meal by learning from real representatives of their culture
I’ve been drinking chai with the same ingredients you used for years but following your method was a game changer. Just by changing the steps, boiling the spices first made one of the best chai I’ve ever made and had. WOW…never going back to any other method, found my cooking website on YouTube. Keep doing these awesome articles Chetna. ❤️❤️🙏
Today, I tried your Masala Chai recipe in the morning, and I was truly blown away by the taste of it. I tasted many other “exotic” recipes from internet for this delicacy but didn’t get good results. Yours one was simple yet delicious. The chai actually tasted like chai because of the lesser amount of milk and hard liquor, not like some milkshake. Thanks 🎉
Thank you Dear Chetna! My husband is Pakistani and I have been making chai exactly like you (same spices and not mixing milk until water boils) but it’s always hit or miss. Sometimes I achieve great depth of flavor and other times it’s flat. You’ve shown me what I may be doing wrong! I’m trying your techniques this afternoon! Thank you again!
Thank you SO much! I’ve been drinking chai consistently for years now but have always been intimidated and intrigued to make it on my own. Something about using whole spices always seems like it requires a lot of skill – but this combined with a desi friend giving me his recommendations made it so much more approachable. I visited my local indian grocery store to get the whole spices (The spices were so much cheaper compared to at American grocery stores and so much more bang for your buck it’s crazy) & ended up using whole peppercorns that I mashed with a makeshift mortar and pestle (a ceramic bowl and spoon handle), black cardamom, half a cinnamon stick & a few cloves. So happy I can finally stop buying chai concentrate and keep experimenting with making my own (-: Hopefully this helps any one who also has been apprehensive to make it from scratch
Thank you Chetna. I’m experimenting with warming comfort foods this coming autumn and winter here in England and have never made this kind of chai at home, for shame! I will follow your recipe and when feeling bold, also tackle the recipe I have for homemade crumpets. Much exciting but simple activity in my home this winter! 😊🍵
I tried it and i love it. I used to buy the already mixed form, from the supermarket in abuja about 7yrs ago and they just disappeared, i am taking this after 7yrs of craving, didnt know i could make this, with the stash of indian spices i have athome P.s my sister had an indian friend 10yrs ago who introduced us to indian spices and thats all i ever buy now… love their aroma
Tahnk you for the article!! Also, respectufully chop your plants lady! ^^ they’ll love it! or speciffically for the last one, the pothos, you can simply fold back the steam with a nod or 2 into the soil and they will grow new roots out of it! bigger and stronger leafs ahead! Thoses plants are made be be taken care of “willdly”. You can cut an recut, put steams with some leafs in water for couple of weeks to grow new plant etc etc makes them grow larger rather that too long (sorry if there’s any mistake, french island person here ^^)
Hehehe! Thank you! “…chai means tea!” So happy you pointed this out. My sweetie points this out regularly…every time we see or hear it. I LOVE that you brought this up. Hahaha…and…I was wondering when or if you were going to add sugar. You are lovely. Thank you for bringing me a smile today. I would love to perfect a nice masala chai for friends, family and my sweetie. this is great guidance.
I tried to make chai after seeing your article. After i taste it, it was soo good! but i feel familiar with the taste. Its a lil bit like “bandrek” in my country (indonesia). maybe because the taste of tea that i use is not strong. In my country, we use ginger, cloves, cinnamon, pandan leaves, brown sugar, a lil bit of salt and boiled in water. We didnt use tea or milk. I love both!🥰
About your plants; they thrive on being cut back. An alternative is ‘pinning’ them up, so the ‘branches’ flourish and grow outward. The one that you say you’ve cut back numerous times is looking a little ‘leggy’ and might benefit from either a larger container and fresh soil, or much more sunlight and less frequent waterings. Or a hardy trimming. 🙂 Going to drink some Chai, now❣️ Thx❣️
Thank you for this article. The reason your plants keep coming down because that’s where the lights are. It’s also why there aren’t many leaves. The stem keeps growing with only a few leaves because it’s trying to reach the light. You’ll have more leaves and be more full if it’s kept under/by direct light.
Great demo on how to make Masala chai. I make Masala chai every day. Almost the same recipe, just a few changes. 1. I grate my ginger and let that boil first, then add the other 2 spices 2. I also powder clove and cardamom, instead of them being whole. Grinding these 2 spices makes it even more pronounced in the final product. Some may not prefer these pronounced spices, if that is the case, you can definitely add it like what Chetna shows here. 3. Definitely add sugar. Awesome article, thanks Chetna.
You made me smile-as I was drooling over your lovely spice center, you had to start searching for what you needed! I have such an assortment of spices I can’t keep them in 1 location either. But yours are still organized much more neatly than I can organize mine. Thanks for the chai primer. And now I get it why some chai tea I liked & some I didn’t.
Looks yummy, in regards to the type of plant that you have/had. Nearest the stove can be grown by just trimming and placed in water it will root! The other lovely thing about that plant is to just let it grow and place the vines on hooks and border your entire kitchen or room with it. Water spritz the leaves once in a great while indirect light is best for that type of plant . Grows in water or potting soil
This is great, thanks! You’ve inspired me to have a proper go w whole spices & my pestle & mortar (which I never use 😅) but I also make a lazy caffeine-free version w rooibos or dandelion tea, almond milk, & ground spices – often cloves, cinnamon & turmeric. Today you inspired me to add ground cardamom & ginger!
I use a Chai blend from the tea store which is a blend of black tea with all the typical chai spices (cardemon, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger). Mostly for most teas it’s always 2g (one tea bag or a tsp) for a smaller coffee cup (and douvle for the bigger cups like the one you’re using) I thought? I mean, everyone uses as much as they like to their taste but isn’t the general fist rule that it’s around 4g (2 tsp or 2 tea bags) for bigger cups like the one you’re using normally? Also, having this chai blend, how much would you use for a bigger cup like the one you use and should I cook it for just around 4-5 minutes or rather 10 minutes in your experience/opinion before adding milk? And when adding milk just bring it to a boil again and it’s ready to serve then? 🙂
Chetna! 👏🏽👏🏽Yay! Finally the proper way to make chai. I never drink it prepared anymore because of the cooked milk/water thing and waaaay to many spices. I love your spice drawers, I live in Canada and most people cannot understand why I have so many spices. I have an antique shelf with my spices arranged on it. And thank you, I am getting a little tired of the “chai tea”, “roti bread”, “naan bread” thing.
Thank you so much for this Chetna! I know you are Indian, but I had a Pakistani friend growing up who made me chai a few times and I’ve never forgotten how wonderful it was. I know there are many versions of chai, but I’ve started making it using this recipe and adding a cinnamon stick for my boyfriend and I and it is hands down our favorite tea, let alone day-time drink. I just keep coming back to it and it’s wonderful 🙂 the most comforting, homey flavors that somehow seem to go well with every season. On top of it tasting great, it reminds of that friendship growing up as well. Thankful that the internet exists for things like this ❤
Thank you for this lovely tutorial, Chetna! It’s a cool reading day after hour summer, so following along! Years ago one of my housemates at a mountain retreat center was a chef, and he’d often make us fresh Chai at home! It was so wonderful to smell as it simmered, and Emily and I loved it! The herbalist Rosemary Gladstar adds herbs from Aureveda for ‘longevity chai’ – I added a pinch of Ashwaganda, stat Anise, turmeric and cinnamon, and a wee Thai hot pepper!
My wife and I recently found an India store with a wonderful proprietor he knew everything about every item in his store. When he found out I knew what I was talking about with masala he got excited and shared some of his personal chai he had brought from home. It was the best I ever had and he shared his recipe with us. We bought the ingredients and are making it at home. So good my favorite hot drink. I like the tea from the foothills of the Himalayas the best. I think packaged tea is bitter. I have subscribed and will be trying some of your dishes.
I made it today here in Texas! I will stop saying chai tea! I now will say I ❤️ masala tea!🍵 I did add some cinnamon, peppercorn, & monk fruit for sugar free sweetener. I love the smell & taste! I made 2 cups: one for today and one for tomorrow. I stored the other cup in the fridge to reheat! Thank you!
Dear CHETNA I love your recipes because I think you have a natural knack for delicious cooking . The recipes you create are logical, have layers of flavour, and are distinct from recipes with the same or similar name done by some other UTuber. I am delighted to see your Mashallah magical rise to stardom and the obvious respect other chefs have for you – a very major achievement in such a competitive industry! Wishing you continued success and great happiness a vious respect status! No one deserves it more! Thank you for your inspiring recipes. I have enjpyed viewing them and have been very pleased with the versatility of your preparations and their careful layered ingredients, both aspects destined to come together to create the perfect dish for the special mood of the day or the festivity associated with a holiday. Thank you and keep up the great work. I will definitely enjoy perusal your lovely TV shows. I send you my very best wishes
Hi Chetna ~ I was delighted to see your image + website pop up, as I scrolled through ‘You Tube’ ~ you were my favorite on The Great British Baking Show, so it’s nice to see you, again. Thank you for the Chai tutorial. Years ago, my dear friend, Shivaani had made chai for me + it was truly an unforgettable experience. So, I’ll surely try your recipe as soon as I gather the required spices + will also experiment. Be well + my best to you.🙏
Lovely article. I so enjoy making masala chai. I find your spices can be quite personal, but one thing for me that is an absolute must is to use an excellent quality loose CTC (crush/tear/curl) Assam like you used. That is how you obtain that wonderful malty flavor and deep red-amber color. One of my favorite things to make in the warm weather is frozen chai pops. I sweeten with simple syrup, sometimes a touch of honey, freeze in pop molds. Try it!
Hi Chetna thanks for sharing. My first experience of masala chai was a ready made blend from Dishoom, which is very nice. This article has morivated me to make my own. What type of pan are you using/is best? I heard adding the sugar when boiling helps caramelisation but my pan is worse for wear afterwards. Do you add the sugar when it’s poured into the cup?
Dear chetna, thank you so much for your helpful article. I have tried making chai in the uk but it never tastes as good as the stuff in India. I will try your method. Can i make it with oat milk or soy milk instead? We dont have dairy milk in our house due to lactose intolerance. For those who do drink dairy, it may be useful to know what type of milk you use – does it need to be full fat to get the right flavour and texture? Thanks so much for your work
What kind of tea is that? Just regular black tea? Also, isnt it a problem fot that tea to boil? Thanks for the article, this was very enlightening on the simplicity and beauty of this. Oh and on another note. What i do with my plants that grow too long is that I guide them through knots or other things to move over the drawers so that they dont just fall. Dont cut them please u.u
I am from Malaysia. Chai is a must for many of us. I add a little of dry ginger while boiling. That’s all fine. But, but but that magnificent drawer like a treasure chest..omg. pls make a article about it and how to keep them longer and fresh. How do you get those little containers.Hope to hear your soon.
Thank you for the great article Chetna! Your plants are gorgeous too! I am going to make the Chai for the first time but before, I have one question regarding the type of tea you use. What is the best to use and which one is your favorite between Assam…Kadak or Darjeeling, Nilgiri??? Thank you so much!
I saw it yesterday and made this today morning. Delicious 😋….. the weather at Hyderabad being little cool…. since it’s October …..post Diwali…. it’s little cool with the approach of winter season. Cool foggy morning with this Masada chai….ohhh!! It felt heavenly. After so many days….had such a nice cup of tea. And one more thing, Thanks! For showing how to make tea by boiling water first…then adding milk. I just couldn’t make this properly. But now have learnt!! Yooo….hooo…
Hellooo Chetna I make masala chai at home as well sometimes I don’t make it often I do like masala chai, I put cinnamon sticks, cardamom, bay leaf and piece of ginger in our masala chai it really nice 😋😁 I’m thinking making masala chai today you got my mouth watery 😂😅 the smell of favorite is so good, I don’t have sugar in my tea, my mum has sugar in her tea 😊 thank you for sharing this amazing recipe, I hope everyone enjoys the masala chai you will feel like your in heaven it’s so gooood 😅😁🥰😋☺️
I have a friend that drinks the ready made chia. She drinks it during the night. It is too sweet to drink at night. She is 84. If I make it myself for her I will add Xylitol to sweeten it. Good science says that will help the microbiome around the teeth and so prevent increases in tooth decay and also act as a prebiotic in the stomach. So this will help with her sleep. Green tea does the same but not sure if she will enjoy that taste. I will try these things. Thank you Chetna for this lesson on chia. Pregnant women have an acid content in their mouth so xylitol mints has been shown to help fight tooth decay in the many struggling pregnant women too.
Subscribed! Love your presentation, and your lovely plants! Tis a pet peeve of mine as well Chai Tea = Tea tea or Chai chai. Not sure people will ever learn. I was taught by a friend’s mother, she is Indian Malay. Family originally from northern India and they are Sikh. They also say Cha similar to most of Asia not Chai. She does your version which I prefer, water then a splash of whole milk. My other friend, younger and from the suburbs of Mumbai do tea and spices in milk only. Then they thin with water as needed after simmering. Lots of jaggery in theirs as well which could be just a personal preference not necessarily regional.
I cannot wait to try this. I bought some chai from the grocery store and it is not it. Idk what authentic Chai tastes like but it doesn’t seem to have enough flavor depth. I love how you tall about the variations in a way of not putting others down. It’s a small difference between you and many other content creators and I love how positive it is. *Note to self: Add plants to the kitchen.
So appreciate your article! I love masala chai, which until your article i used to call chai tea or chai latte😂, thanks for the heads up. It sounds ridiculous I’m sure, but i never throught to make it from scratch so i cannot wait to try this. In the US, the ready made spice packets are so easy and readily available, that many of us dont realize, likely how inexpensive and i am sure healthier it would be to simply make our own❤
Dear Chetna, I totally understand how difficult it is to cut down plants we love. What helps me take on this process is to remember, FIRST, that it IS a HEALTH GIVING PROCESS for the plant, and SECOND, to rephrase it even to myself to say: “I need to trim my plants to help them grow stronger”! This is a botanically correct as you know. Trimming down plants strengthens their roots and creates a stronger and healthier plant : ) I Hope this helps! I adore the way you cook! I share your approach, your thinking, and especially your joy about cooking for those we love most, our beloved family and our friends! Wishing you and all your loved ones health happiness and every success for the New Year and the future. You deserve it! Love and best wishes from the USA
Thank you for the wonderful tips! I’ve always like the idea of a cup of masala chai but then been disappointed by the outcome. So I just assumed I’m really bad at making chai. This recipe just hits the spot!! Back in Bombay our family help, believe it or not, makes chai this exact same way and it’s the only chai I’d ever be drink!
This is the best masala chai recipe and tutorial. I would always get a cup when visiting my Nepali friends. I had to ask to stop though because the caffeine is too much for me. They used whole milk and plenty of sugar, so it was quite wonderful. Wondering if you have any suggestions for a decaffeinated substitute and any thoughts on a dairy free substitute?
I always have a pot of masala chai in a stainless steel pot on my stove. I reheat it everyday. I’m never out of it. My grands ask for it as soon as they come to visit. I add cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, black pepper, bay leaves, star anise, ginger and dried orange peels to mine. Sometimes I add fennel seeds. Before I serve it, I would put the required amount into another pot… that’s when I’ll add a good quality strong black loose tea, let simmer, then add my almond milk and honey. The taste is divine. The guest, and grands are happy, and I’m happy. It’s my favorite chai. I love your plants. I also have a jungle in my apartment. 🙏🏽❤️
My favourite mix is cardomom ginger clove star anise cinnamon stick. 5 minboil . Add loose tea . Let steep in simmering mix for at least 4 minutes . Then add milk bring to boil. Strain into prewarmed double walled teapot or a thermos and let people use their sweetener of choice. I like honey my friends prefer stevia or sugar but it’s the best morning drink for me before walking the dog . I agree with you that cardomom and ginger are the most vital spices . One black cardomom pod is an interesting variation thats nice for a change . In Australia if you buy ” chai” you get a sickly sweet mostly cinnamon faintly milky drink that may have been acquainted with a tea bag fleetingly ! You do much better ordering “masala tea” in a south indian restaurant . But the chai we make at home is the same colour as yours was and is a great comfort on a cold day
I have been doing massala cheats with coffee. Eeeeeew. Don’t kill me 😅 But today, Christmas day I made the serious Massala chai!👏👏👏👏👏🎄🤍🎄🤍🎄🤍🎄🤍🎄🤍🎄🤍🎄🤍 So proud. Thank you for sharing. I am here in the Philippines and I do not have much competition drinking my massala chai. More for me 😂😂😂 I am having the sniffles so i put plenty of ginger. I also put cloves, cinnamon bark, green cardamom, star anise, all crushed as per your instruction. It is so Christmasy and I think of my friends and company back there in England ❤❤ Merry Christmas to you all 🎄🤍🎄🤍🎄🤍🎄🤍🎄🤍🎄🤍 Cheers to chai! 🍵🍵
I use the same ingredients plus a few lemon grass stalks. I try to toast the spices for literally 10-15 seconds and then add the 2 cups of water in the spices. I like my chai Kadak so I leave it on the gas for an additional little boil (like a minute or more depending on the number of cups I’m making). If you ever decide to add a pinch of salt to your chai, check this brand called Lunn. I love their black salt (I know some people will never add salt to their tea, but try it once. That hint of salt is so tiny it has no salty flavour, but it brings out the flavours of the spices added). white refined Sugar or jaggery, I prefer jaggery because I am a diabetic. I just love how you can experiment with tea to customise it to your liking.
I was always wondering why ppl would say “chai tea”! 😁 Glad to get the confirmation that it’s using the word double. I enjoyed this article so much, it was like being with you in your kitchen. Your drawers are a DREAM! (I’ve been making tea like this using only cardamom and boiling the sugar along in the water; I got that from another article from an Afghani lady. Apparently that’s how they drink it in Afghanistan. Can’t wait to try this enhanced version ❤️ Looking forward to seeing more of your articles! Love from The Netherlands
Greetings from Texas. Your website just entered my orbit. And I just had to watch this article to see how does one make Chai, and now I plan to make some. You’re a delight, will start perusal more of your articles tomorrow. Best regards. OH, I steep Twinings English Breakfast blend for my daily glasses of caffeinated iced tea. Since I just learned from you that Chai is simply “tea” that could mean all sorts of different types of tea. Do I use the English Breakfast tea bags I have or do you recommend another type of tea? Or just a black tea? Thanks so much. I just subscribed.
Hello Chetna! I stumbled upon your website by pure chance and what a blessing that you did this article on Masala chai. I am known for my chai. I like my chai on the strong side and was very happy to see you only added a splash or two of milk instead of a cupful. I found it very interesting that you did not boil the tea you let it steep on low heat. Also when you added the milk you didn’t give it the traditional 3 or 4 boils (Ubala)… you let the milk simmer for 2-3 minutes. I was curious to know does this enhance the flavors? I am definitely going to try this. Thank you for the article. 🙏
Hi Chetna, I’m a new subie, I am latina and I love love drinking chai is one of my favorite teas 😍 can I find or do the same ingredients but ground instead of fresh ingredients since I’m always on the GO!! Will it taste the same, and will it give me the same properties benefits as if I’m making it with fresh ingredients? What type of sugar is better raw or refined sugar? I really hope u can reply back, thanks in advance t.k. 🙏❤
Chetna, I love your website and so much appreciate all the cooking you do for us! I’m buying your books, can’t decide which one first, but probably ” Chai, Chaat, and Chutney ” . However, I would also like to get some spices, and tea, so the book and the spices all arrive together soon, but have one nagging question: I buy from Amazon, and can so many of the popular brands actually packaged in India, loose leaf too. I would like to have your recommendation for a few brands of tea so I can go ahead and get a bag of it. Thank you so much!
Your spice drawers are lovely I hope you found a solution for your plants!🌞 If not yet, what about some sort of hanging “climbing structure”? Like, a net or trellis, something airy and beautiful, perhaps? That suspends from the ceiling? You could let them grow wherever they didn’t interfere with doors or lights; of course, if there was such a place. What about small hooks that the stems fit in, and were cradled by, above the top of the cupboards? I know some plants don’t want to hang. So, maybe a section of wall could become “plant territory”? Idk. Just thinking. Perhaps it will inspire you to do something.
Thank you so much for this article Chetna! I love chai and had no idea that it is this simple to make and it tastes exactly like chai in India! No need to go to Delhi Spice Market from Johannesburg to get the right mix! I’ve been to many shops in South Africa trying to get a “chai mix” when I had everything I needed at home! Tx for this article!
I love your articles Chetna! I am going to make your chai recipe as soon as I pick up some fresh ginger root. I always wondered about when to add the milk because I have had a burned milk taste in the past. Thank you for the help! I notice how many people say chai tea, naan bread, butter ghee or ghee butter, and I have seen it in print on menus too. I am not Indian, but I know that this is wrong, so I never do. 😊
Hi Chetna! Would it be acceptable to use cheesecloth to hold all the spices together while the water boils? And what kind of loose tea are you using or is it just black tea? I was excited to read that you were on The Great British Bake Off back in 2014! I just finished series 13 and am currently perusal series 8. They were baking with chai and that led me to this article 😂 Also, congrats on your win in 2016!
A word for westerners looking to try this: that tea he’s using is called CTC or “mamri” tea. It can be found in most Indian grocery stores in the west as brands like Danedar and Wagh Bakri. It’s necessary b/c the strength of brew you get from normal loose leaf black tea will not cut through the dairy and spices.
⚠SOME SUGGESTIONS⚠ Rather than cutting and slicing the ginger, it’s better to take similar or half the quantity of ginger and crushing it a little, just like how the cardamom pods were crushed. It releases more of its flavour this way, so use sparingly. Instead of putting the tea in plain water and boiling the mixture, you could boil the water first, then add tea leaves to the rolling boil water. This extracts a LOT of flavor very instantly (No kidding). If going this route, you can use condensed milk as you would not have to boil the mixture any further. Make sure to froth the mixture by pouring it between two glasses. Finally, rather than lifting the pot, you can also reduce the flame to medium/simmer and keep stirring the millk. Works the same way lol.
I just redid my recipe books and I realized that my very finest, treasured, and best-tasting recipes are from you. I am 70yo and started seriously collecting recipes at age 16, from all over the world. So, if anyone hasn’t told you how fabulous you are today . . . you are fabulous. ❤️ Thank you for making my home a hive of delicious-ness.
well its pretty much the exact same version of Chai we make in India everyday…Karak Chai literally translates to Strong tea in Hindi…the only difference is we use regular milk instead of condensed milk and Saffron is optional…we also use loose black tea leaves to make chai in India instead of pods and i love that this version of chai is so popular in UAE too
I’m addicted to chai, but I have to make mine slightly different since I’m lactose intolerant. I usually use oat or coconut milk. I also sometimes add just a bit of vanilla paste at the end of boiling and stir it in. I know it’s not traditional, but it adds an extra depth of flavor and tastes delicious!!
Some people are more sensitive to certain flavors. When i prepare a chai for my sister, I make sure to let the milk foam up (which it will do more than once if you keep cooking it), because she loves the caramelized flavor of the boiled milk, and that’s how you get that flavor. Another tip: the more fat you have in your milk, the more the spices get absorbed by it and disappear. Yet another tip: while you may want to totally avoid sugar, having a little in there helps bring out the spices. Final tip: you can use turmeric instead of saffron.
This particular tea, like no other food, gives a geographical tour of the subcontinent. Traditionally, the black tea came from the Himalayan foothills in the northeast, the cardamom from the tropical south, the saffron from Kashmir in the north, the sugar from the inland plains, and the whole milk would obviously be local. Interestingly, sugar (the term is derived from Hindi), first refined in India, was a big part of its trade with the Gulf for centuries. Similarly, ginger can be traced back to its Tamil root ‘inji’.
When I make chai I start by simmering the ginger and cardamom pods for about 5 minutes first before adding the tea. Simmer tea for a few minutes then add milk and simmer all together for another 5-10 min (depending on how strong you like the tea). I use regular milk, but in a 1/2 milk to 1/2 tea ratio. You can sweeten with sugar or honey. Thanks for the article!
Even for the sad old spices and English breakfast tea I used, both versions were delicious. I really appreciate how the simple version still makes a great drink. For all the work needed for the full version, definitely worth doubling- especially nice that I had a lovely hot cup on a day where the summer heat finally broke. Yaaay~
in the subcontinent we also prefer drinking “doodh patti” which literally translates to milk tea. The steps in it are similar to the last one except water is not added. Instead, we directly add milk and let the tea boil. It’s absolutely creamy and delicious. Although most of the time we don’t add all these extra spices, just some tea, and sugar
In my country Bangladesh, we make something similar to this called Moshla Cha (spice tea). But we don’t use the repeated boiling method you showed so i will definitely be trying it the next time. Another popular tea over here is Gur Malai tea which is just black tea, date Molasses and evaporated milk brewed together. My personal favorite is citrus tea which is much lighter and dairy free. Just add citrus ( my fav is orange) and a bit of ginger and clove if you’re feeling special. Everyone makes tea so differently it’s always a treat to learn about other people’s recipes.
Fun linguistic fact, tea is pretty much some variation of the word tea or chai. It depends on where in China your trade route originated. Variations of chai came overland through the spice road from the Sinitic Chinese word cha while tea comes from Min Nan pronunciation te which is found on the eastern coast. That pronunciation followed the European sailors (mostly Dutch) importing tea.
I actually love it so much, for me we usually put cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves same amount but without using ginger and saffron but before adding tea we usually roast the spices a little then boil them in water for 5-10 min then add the tea boil again and then add evaporated milk…etc anyway it really taste amazing especially it winter season!
I just made a variation of the authentic recipe to fit in my diet (need caffeine free, sugar free, and low fat). I used caffeine free tea, monk fruit sweetener, and fat free evaporated milk. I left out the saffron simply because it’s expensive. This tea is addictively good! I may need to make a quadruple recipe to have ready to go in the fridge. So delicious!
Video paused, literally jumping in my car to go get condensed milk from grocery so I can make this right away. For years I’ve tried to make the perfect spiced tea at home and I always fail, but I’ve never tried like this. Thanks for the great tip about omitting cinnamon, although I love it, I think it’s overpowering nature has been part of the problem for me. What a revelation! I wish we had wonderful tea like this readily available instead of the boring tea bags at coffee shops and restaurants. We sure don’t do tea right in North America. Can’t wait to try this.
Hi Middle Eats! Great article, the color looks really appetizing and I will try to make this if I can find cardamom pods. I also wanted to ask you about the “ice cubes” you used. They looked kinda artificial and since I am looking for artificial ice cubes, and yours looked were very similar to real ones, I am wondering where you bought them? And if they were real ice cubes, please share a article of how you made them so perfectly transparent.
My first try came out a little lighter in color than desired, I think I needed to let the sugar and tea mixture reduce more during that middle phase but I got shy and brought it to a bare simmer for those 5 minutes after seeing how quickly the reduction was taking place.. Or maybe just needed more heat on the final step with the evaporated milk. In any case it’s just as addictive as advertised! I was thinking of this as a way to impress friends and family on occasion but this recipe might find its way into my weekday as well 😁
I’ve been having this for over 20 years now. Make at home in London. Here’s a tip. Boil kettle water. Get your spice mix, put it in a pot with the spice mix, cover with a plate for around 10 minutes. Then use that water to make the tea. Your taste buds will thank me later. Also, you can make the lazy tea this way as well.
If you hate sugar, not sure if they do this in India as well but, I’ve learned from a Mauritian friend you can replace the sugar in Chai tea with honey. Effectively it’s still sugar for the body of course so it doesn’t make it healthier per se, but it does give a different layer of depth to the sweetness and you can play around with different types of honey to suit your pallette.
OH WOW, I just made this for the first time just now and my mind was blown on the first sip. I literally paced around my kitchen laughing and exclaiming because I’d never had anything like that before. Thank you so much for all your recipes. I’m making this again tomorrow after I get more evaporated milk.
Hi! Are you sure it’s 1 cup of evaporated milk? I tried it and it seemed very very thick. Also, I didn’t get the terra cotta color you got. Lastly, the recipe only yielded 1 and a half cups of chai. In your article, did you double the recipe? If so, did you use 2 cups of evaporated milk? Lastly, what tea brand did you use? I used Tapal.
Thank you! what a fantastic article. One thing i notice is that the thai tea has the yellow #6 added to them all.. I love all this bubble tea stuff, but cant get passed accepting the fake, dye, chemical ingredient… in an effort to obtain an authentic drink. BUT, the saffron!! I am new to these kinds of recipes and spices… but I wonder if the color effect of saffron is possible without it being noticed in taste? Is that possible?.or is saffron strong and unmistakable? either way i will try!🙏🏻Cheers!
This is similar to how i always used to make tea(not adding kesar all time),As tea is our daily consumption drink. But now i got diagnosed with IC and i can’t drink tea anymore,i really have to hold myself back. Your article is really making me urge to make tea bt i can’t. I miss good old days when i used to have it at home,at famous chai shops with family, friends etc.
The repeating boiling method is also done in Hong Kong milk tea. But they use about 1/4 cup of a mixture of Assam, Ceylon and English breakfast loose leaves teas to get a more earthy, tangy notes and strong tea or tannins from this tea brewing method. They add evap milk for richness and creaminess. If the tea was served cold, they would use condensed milk for sweetness and richness to the tea.
Great recipe! I have tried it 3 times now. Don’t listen to other commenters. I HIGHLY recommend doing the recipe exactly as done in the article. Once you do it once, taste it! If its too sweet, add less sugar next time. If its too light or milky…add less milk. Not spicy enough? First off, check the quality of your spices. Then experiment with simmering the spices before adding the tea or adding more spices. Overall great recipe. If you’re new to this tea (like me), just follow the article exactly to get a good baseline of tea and then adjust based on your preferences. Everyone has their own opinion on the “best” way to make something. (P.S. Adding all the saffron to the pot won’t make it bitter. You don’t have to put it in hot water separately as another commenter said. Just try it at least once in the pot and save yourself the time.)
I use these spices minus the saffron and plus nutmeg in porridge, rice pudding and bulgur wheat, using the latter or cous cous / semolina its called sooji ka halwa. Only reason I don’t use saffron is its very hard to find and expensive, and I prefer nutmeg anyway. For the milk I basically have a 2.5 Kg tub of Nestle Nido powder.
nice, and that’s an exquisite color you get. this is similar to the teh tarik you find in maylasia, at least all over kuala lumpur, and both are greatly simplified versions of indian chai, which is the mother of all things chai. i like the addition of saffron. evaporated milk or condensed milk is convenient, and there’s nothing wrong with it, but for me a combo of milk and heavy cream, if you can get it, yields a better result when you showed loose tea, it looked like instant tea. any chai recipe benefits from using loose high quality assam (at least FOP)
I can tell you that if I were to drink a small amount of this chai than I would be bouncing around for more then 24 hrs! That is very strong cause not only did you have a lot of loose tea but it was boiled for a long time to get that beautiful rich colour. And ginger in tea is an absolute must. In fact I drink honey, ginger in hot water every day. First thing in the moron by and last thing before bedtime. No more coffee for me but tea like this would be an occasional treat.
Bit modification for perfect taste 1) Use fresh milk (Buffalo is best) with water 50% milk+ 50% water, if you like it more creamy, use higher percentage of fresh milk. 2) Don’t over use cardamom, use 1 from 2-3 cups, 2 from 4-5 cups and so on. 3) Most people don’t like ginger in there tea, but if you are asthmatic or any other allergies, use it as it is very good but just a little. As it can overwhelm the overall tea taste.(you can also use ginger powder but its not as good as fresh) The MOST IMPORTANT Tip is LOW HEAT, LOW HEAT, LOW HEAT. I cannot stress this enough. Bring it to boil on a very low heat. The key is not to over boil the tea like coffee, its to let the tea for as long as you can on optimum temperature.
Although debatable, I prefer to add all the spices and ginger to water. let is simmer for a while, then turn it off and add the tea leave and allow it to brew. This in my opinion prevents the tea over brewing and releasing more bitter notes. Once the tea is brewed I will add the milk or condensed milk. Turn the heat on low and allow it to slowly come up to a boil. Once it erupts, turn it off and serve.
Hi hi that tea looks delish wish i cld have some but i dont have the saffron strands can i use d raw saffron instead since i live in Trinidad in d Caribbean and we plant d saffron or we have d saffron powder probably not the best quality and i cant get d green cardamon pods can i use what i can ger?. Thanks come visit Trinidad smtime ok lovely beaches and plenty sunshine with friendly ppl like me
It was my first time making this and although the experience was fun My chai came out looking slightly darker and muddier color than terracotta like yours. I felt kinda discouraged. I added the milk and waited for it to rise when boiling but it never did on a rolling boil. I still lifted it but it didn’t really come out the same. i doubled the recipe and used a glass pot on a flame stove. I followed everything yet still didn’t get the color right did I somehow mess up?
I made this recipe, and got a good dark color in the chai after it boiled, but when I added the evaporated milk, it just looked like a light brown clay color, not caramel colored at all. And when I kept boiling it to frothing and taking it off the heat, it never changed color to that terracotta color. Am I using too weak of black tea, or maybe they tea leaves need to be ground more…? Man if anyone could help me, I’d greatly appreciate it
This is one thing I already make regularly! I think my variety is more of the Masala style? I watched several YouTube articles a few years ago of Indian Street Vendors making their chai and my version is patterned after theirs. I like my chai strong, sweet, creamy, and spicy! Loose Leaf Black Tea (Assam or Darjeeling), honey, raw sugar, evaporated milk, semi-crushed green cardamom pods, whole allspice (my own addition), black peppercorns, ginger (fresh or juice), whole cloves, cinnamon stick, vanilla extract, and star anise. I simmer all the spices for a while first in a saucepan filled about half to two thirds with water until the aroma fills the kitchen, add the honey and sugar, and won’t add the tea until just before I add the milk. That way the tea gets to steep in the more traditional way rather than boil for too long and risk becoming bitter. Once I add the milk I let the mixture simmer more and will slowly turn the heat up until it is right before a gentle boil. Then I pour the whole shebang through a strainer and it comes out sooooooo good! I make pitchers of it so I can just pour a cup and heat it in the microwave when I want. But the very FIRST cup of each batch fresh off the stove is always the best!!
My perfect masala chai: Per cup 1tbsp black tea(more premium the better) a bit of ginger Full cream Milk powder(or for lactose intolerant person like me – coffee mate) 1 pod of clove 2 pods of cardamom a little bit of peppercorn(heated up, not necessary) a little bit of nutmeg(very necessary) 2tsp sugar How you make is your choice. But don’t add ginger after milk, boil the tea with ginger and remove it before adding milk.
I will un-fancy it for you, Take a cup fill it half with milk and add to a boiling utensil, add 1 cup water, 1 spoon suger, 1 small piece of ginger, 1 cardamom and 1 spoon tea leaves and turn the gas on, once it starts to boil lower the flame and let it all simmer till it roughly looks like 1 cup and half cup of water been evaporated and that will fill 1 cup. Perfect every time.
The cardamom ratio is one bud per person per chai. If there are lot more people like 10, fine crush 5 buds and add to the chai. You will get more aroma and flavor out of it and your chai will not taste like over spicy or bitter. Assam Teabags is best one but try open packet coarse or fine dust tea powder, use whole fat milk and not skimmed one for best flavor out of it. I prefer making my homemade traditional masala chai with homemade masala for chai which has like 10 different spices in it, can’t disclose the ratios as it’s a trade secret. 😉