all about chai

Chai by itself simply translates to "tea" in Hindi, Punjabi, and many other languages of South Asia. So the popular term "Chai tea" is actually a redundant "tea tea" when translated. The shortened term "chai" in the Western World typically refers to "masala chai."

Masala chai is black tea brewed with aromatic Indian spices and herbs. As with any recipe, there are many variations of the spices used, depending on the region in which the recipe is from. There are of course a few standard ingredients as well. These ingredients can include ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, cloves, and more. 

{spices used in preparing masala chai}

The term "chai latte" is a Western term indicating that the spiced tea is brewed with a milk base. {Much like the recipe that I posted previous to this}. This term is also a bit redundant as the traditional masala chai has a milk base. 

There are four components to the basic masala chai:

1. Tea Leaves
2. Spices
3. Sweetener
4. Milk

The actual preparation varies by household, but typically all ingredients are boiled together and strained for serving. 

There are several "Americanized" variations of masala chai which include tea bags, liquid concentrates {typically what is prepared at coffee shops}, and pre packaged spice mixes. Although all of these meet the general principles of masala chai, nothing beats the intensity of flavor when you follow traditional methods to make it from scratch.

Some of my personal favorite bagged and loose chai include:

• Double Spice Chai from Stash Teas
• Green Chai from Adagio Teas
• Vanilla Chai from Good Earth Teas

If you haven't tried chai in any form, I highly recommend it. In my opinion, the spicier the better, but of course each palate is different!

For more information on masala chai, visit wikipedia.org.