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Chai Tea

Chai Tea

“Chai” is an Indian word for “tea” or “spiced tea”. Technically it’s “tea tea”. Basically, a “Chai” is simply black tea brewed in hot water with notable chai spices like cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, vanilla, and star anise. To make a “latte” just mix with a milk or milk substitute. Black tea has natural caffeine in it, so it’s definitely an energy buzz. It differs from regular tea in that it’s brewed with both warm water and warm milk with sweeteners added. The milk addition (or dairy alternative) is generally almost 50/50 milk to chai spice/black tea.

My favorite version of chai is Starbucks Chai Creme Frappuccino, then I go for the Latte. For some reason, my preference is “cold” versions vs. “hot”. Must be the “American” in me. I was never a coffee drinker, so “Chai” became my gateway into the coffee world especially once “Chai” was popularized around the world by Starbucks. Albeit, it took some time as I remember quite vividly living in Europe and having to explain to Starbucks baristas how to make a Chai creme frappuccino. Of course, they knew the standard hot chai latte. You don’t have to visit expensive coffee and tea shops to get a chai, they are quite easy to make at home. If you purchase our tea bags, loose-leaf, or instant mixes – it’s simply brewed in hot water, add milk or dairy-substitute, add sweetener, and Voila’ you’re golden. You can also simply make your own concoction if you’ve got access to herbs and spices – which we can help you with as well. Just click the linked spices below to order. and stock up! We do recommend giving our “Fairy Chai Tea” a try nonetheless.

Types

Sweetness – is based on you’re level, unless you get it from a coffee/tea shop that is likely using lots of sugar. A great alternative to cane sugar is Stevia, agave, maple syrup, or honey. Usually, 1-2 teaspoons of sugar or honey is all you need for a cup of tea, depending on your preferences.

Latte – Making a tea into a latte is simply at just adding dairy or a dairy-free alternative such as coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or oat milk. They’re always inventing new dairy-free beverages, so be creative if that’s your thing. I myself can’t escape daily, though the second-best is coconut and then oat.

Masala: Is simply the “spiced” version of Chai.

Dirty Chai: is simply chai with a shot of espresso blended in for extra energy and kick.

Recipes:

The food fairy has a great recipe for 6 at https://foodfairy.com/chai-tea/. Epicurious has a popular one at https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/homemade-chai-201226. An Easy Masala chai recipe at The minimalist baker: https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-masala-chai-recipe/. Traditional homemade Indian Chai at Foodless: https://foodess.com/authentic-indian-chai-tea-recipe/. Simply recipes have one at https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chai/. Some more chai and rooboos recipes including concentrates are here: https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/recipes/how-and-why-to-make-a-tea-concentrate/.

Benefits:

Chai tea is a great alternative to Coffee for caffeine. You can even create a decaf version. It is said that Chai has great health benefits for the heart, digestion, and controlling blood sugar levels. Studies show that cinnamon lowers blood pressure and reduces levels of total cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides; black tea also is said to contribute to lower blood cholesterol levels, some stating drinking 4+ cups of black tea a day leads to 11% lower risk of heart disease according to Healthline. Both ginger and cinnamon are said to reduce blood sugar levels – studies show that two grams of ginger powder a day to people with type 2 diabetes helped lower their blood sugar levels upwards of 12%. Be wary though, this is more of a health benefit if you go with raw unsweetened mixes or make yourself, rather than a cafe like Starbucks where added sweetener can contain over 35 grams of sugar thereby negating any health benefit the ingredients can add.

Medicinally it’s said to reduce nausea and improve digestion – mainly from the inclusion of ginger; the cinnamon – cloves – and cardamom inclusion all have antibacterial properties helping with digestion issues caused by bacterial infections, as does black pepper. Some studies also suggest it could help reduce weight gain and promote fat loss depending on how it’s prepared. Protein inclusion from milk – cow or soy gives protein which is known to promote a feeling of fullness and reduce hunger. Black tea is said to promote fat breakdown and reduce the number of calories the body absorbs from foods, and drinking upwards of 3 cups of black tea a day may prevent unwanted weight gain.

Concentrates:

There are plenty of pre-made concentrates available. We of course prefer our Fairy Chai Tea Concentrate, but the 2nd runner-up for us is Tazo Chai Tea concentrate that you can get at Starbucks, Target, and any grocery store. Following that is Oregon Chai in our book. The big issue with concentrates is preservatives and preventatives for mold and yeast growth. Ready to Drink teas and concentrates are more than ever popular today.

Making the concentrate yourself is also a handy craft. For every ounce of water, 1 teaspoon of tea. Best to use filtered water so no odors or minerals affect the taste or overall quality of the tea. Black teas work best to roughly 175 degrees Fahrenheit boiled water, which can be regulated with a candy thermometer, or when water just comes to a boil but isn’t yet rolling, steeped for 2-3 minutes. Green teas ideally at 160 degrees.

Strain the tea into a mason jar or other similar stopper bottle via a fine mesh strainer, then place in the refrigerator. Adding to bottles – after brewing – liquid tea extract, powdered tea, and single strength tea method. While the single-strength tea method is the best, it lacks preservatives and sweeteners, shelf life is short. Requires refrigeration and has a 2-3 day shelf life, refrigerated. The powder method has the longest shelf life, and the extract is brewed with flavors, acids, and preservatives for longer shelf life. Citric acid is the most popular preservative – easy to use and readily available. Ascorbic acid is overtaking citric acid’s popularity as it can lower pH and act as an antioxidant to protect and keep flavor stabilized, adds nutritional value to the drink, and can claim vitamin C on the label. Potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, and EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) are the most common to prevent mold, yeast, bacteria, and fungal growth that can cause decolorization, turbidity, and flavor changes.

With chai concentrate, it’s generally 1/2 concentrate, half milk (or dairy substitute) – hot tea: 1/3 concentrate and rest boiling water. Tea latte: 1/2 and 1/2. Iced tea, fill the glass with ice cubes, add 1/2 concentrate and half milk or sub.

Additional references, links, and resources:

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