What is traditional chai made of?

Chai can include a number of different spices. Cardamom is the most common ingredient, followed by some mixture of cinnamon, ginger, star anise and cloves. Pepper, coriander, nutmeg and fennel are also used, but they are slightly less common. Every family has a blend to suit its tastes.

Why is a dirty chai called a dirty chai?

A Dirty Chai is a mix of coffee and chai tea, named “dirty” chai because of the addition of coffee muddying up the color of the tea . It is usually made with a concentrated chai tea, a shot of espresso, and steamed milk or cream (this is, therefore, a latte).

What is the best sweetener for chai tea?

There's a lot of options for sweeteners like white sugar or jaggery, but my favorite is brown sugar ! Milk: Depending on your preference, you might like your chai on the milkier side or not. Either way, make sure to be cautious with your choice of milk. I almost always use whole or 2% milk in my chai.

What's the difference between chai tea and chai tea latte?

Chai Tea vs Chai Latte – The difference Chai tea is a loose-leaf style tea brewed in hot milk, usually with some honey or sugar to sweeten it up. While Chai lattes are often made with either a soluble powder or a syrup imitating a chai flavor. Chai latte is a lot sweeter than chai tea.

What is a dirty chai vs chai?

A Dirty Chai consists of a Chai Latte with the addition of an espresso shot . This extra element brings a robust coffee taste to the drink, differentiating it from a traditional Chai Latte. A Chai Latte is simply made with concentrated tea and various spices, creating a unique balance between flavors.

Is chai tea good for your stomach?

Chai tea contains spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom, which may help to promote healthy digestion and reduce bloating . These spices are also known to alleviate nausea and soothe stomach discomfort.

What is a dirty hippie chai?

A Dirty Chai is a regular cup of chai latte with a shot of espresso . Double the espresso shot, and you have a Filthy Chai Latte. Make with non-dairy milk, and you have a Dirty Hippie Chai Latte.

Why can't you say chai tea?

The term was coined at coffeehouses, where it has been a menu staple since the 1990s. But in the early days of my personal chai obsession, I learned that chai actually means tea in Hindi, and many other languages spoken throughout India and Pakistan . So saying "chai tea" is pretty redundant.

What is in a filthy chai?

Dirty chai is a popular espresso beverage made with tea or chai concentrate, one shot of espresso, and steamed milk . Unlike ordinary chai (masala chai) or sticky chai, the outcome is a blend of regular latte and chai. Spices frequently used in dirty chai are black pepper, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom.

What is Indian chai tea made of?

Authentic Indian chai, or Masala chai, is made with water, milk, sugar, black tea, and spices, usually consisting of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and fennel .

What is the difference between cutting chai and normal chai?

Cutting chai is a word that every person in Mumbai is well versed with. What is cutting chai? It is half a portion of chai/tea . Its served in special kind of glasses instead of cups.

Is traditional chai tea sweet?

Chai is traditionally a sweet milky tea , originating in India. Chai tea is renowned for it's spicy aromas and delicious flavours. Sometimes you hear chai tea being called masala chai. Masala means spice and chai means tea, so Masala Chai means Spice Tea.

What is the difference between sticky chai and normal chai?

However, the major difference between these two types of chai is the addition of a sweetener in Sticky Chai . Sticky Chai typically includes a sweetener of sorts either Honey, Agave or Sugar generally, while Normal Chai usually only has dry tea and chai spices.

Homemade Chai Recipe (2024)

Recipes
Drinks
Coffees and Teas

Traditional chai tea is prepared with full-bodied black tea, star anise, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, white peppercorns, cardamom, whole milk, and sugar. Enjoy it in the morning or afternoon!

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated November 21, 2022

11 Ratings

What Is Chai Tea?

Boy was I surprised, and in the best possible way. Chai is tea, black tea, but tea steeped in milk, flavored with spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise, and sweetened with sugar or honey.

This wonderful chai was the best discovery in Hong Kong; I couldn't wait to spend another night in the Mansion, just to have some more chai in the morning. That was over 30 years ago. Since then, chai has become much more popular here.

The other day, my friend Suzanne served up some delicious chai and told me more of her experiences with it while in the Peace Corp in Africa. According to Suzanne, families have chai recipes the way they have curry recipes, every one a little different and each particular to a family.

It can conveniently be made all in one pot, and you can use sweetened condensed milk from a can - important in the tropics. If you really want the authentic experience, drink it from a tin cup. Here is the way that Suzanne makes her chai.

History of Masala Chai

Masala chai has a history that goes back thousands of years in India. It's a staple healthy beverage in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. Since its beginnings, it has always been made with a variety of spices. It has been served hot and cold, with and without tea leaves, but always with spices.

The version that became the caffeinated beverage that we know and love today was introduced in India when the British set up tea farms in Assam in the 1900s. But tea leaves were still too expensive for regular Indians. So, the vendors added spices, milk, and sugar to maintain a flavorful beverage while keeping down costs.

When tea became more affordable in the 1960s, masala chai became more popular. It’s now enjoyed all over the world, in part because South Asian migrant workers introducing it to places they moved to for work.

In America, masala chai has just morphed into just "chai," which is a misnomer. Masala chai means "spiced tea" in Hindi, and chai just means tea. So, saying "chai tea" is like saying "tea tea."

The Best Spices to Use in Chai Tea

Masala chai can be made with any number of spices. The usual staple ingredients are green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorn, and fresh ginger. You can add star anise (as we do in this recipe), fennel seeds, allspice, white peppercorn, dried ginger, and/or nutmeg,

The Best Ways to Brew Chai Tea

The best way to brew masala chai is to is to use fresh, whole spices and crush or grind them down to release their full flavors.

Be sure to use high quality tea, spices you like, and steep for as long as you like. A lot of it is just a matter of personal taste more than what may or may not be considered "correct."

Swaps and Substitutions

Though masala chai is made with black tea (usually an Assam, Ceylon or Darjeeling), you can use a gunpowder green tea (like they do in Kasimir), a rooibos (for a decaf option), or any other type of tea you like.
Loose leaf or tea bags? Loose leaf tea will be stronger and usually higher it quality than tea in bags. But tea bags are easy to work with. So, it's really up to you.
Instead of milk, you can use any non-dairy milk of your choice, like coconut, almond, soy, oat, or any other kind of milk you like.
Feel free to add whatever sweetener you like. In India, they use an unrefined sugar, called jaggery. Maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, coconut sugar, stevia, any sugar substitute, or even condensed milk all work great.

Tips for Make-Ahead Chai

You can easily double this recipe and boil the spices in a pot or slow cooker. Skip the milk, but steep the tea to your liking. You can add sweetener at this point or just before serving. Cool and refrigerate for up to a week. Simply add your choice of milk before serving heated or chilled.

More Chai Recipes to Try!

Iced Chai Latté
Creamy Chai-Spiced Vegan Pudding
Chai Ice Cream
Boozy Chai-Spiced Apple Punch

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Homemade Chai

Prep Time2 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time32 mins

Servings3to 5 servings

Yield5 cups

Ingredients

1/2 whole star anise
10 to 12 whole cloves
6 to 7 whole allspice
1 heaping teaspoon (or 2 short sticks) cinnamon bark
6 to 7 whole white peppercorns
1 cardamon pod, opened to the seeds
1 cup water
4 cups whole milk
2 heaping tablespoons high-quality, full-bodied broad-leaf black tea (Ceylon or English Breakfast)
Sugar, to taste

Method

Boil the spices in water:
In a 2-qt saucepan, add spices to 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 to 20 minutes, depending on how strong a spice flavor you want.
Add milk and simmer:
Add 4 to 6 cups of whole milk to the spiced water. If you don't have whole milk, you can also use non-fat or low-fat milk. Just add some cream to it, a few tablespoons to your liking. Bring the milk and spice mixture just to a boil and remove from heat.
Add tea and steep:
Add tea and let steep for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how strong your like your tea. (Option at this point - reheat to a simmer and remove from heat.)
You can add sugar at this point, or serve without sugar and let people put the amount of sugar in they want. Traditionally, sugar is added before serving.
Strain and serve:
Strain into a pot, and serve. Add more sugar, to taste if desired.

Coffees and Teas
Herbs and Spices
Indian
Ramadan
Ramadan Suhoor

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
134	Calories
7g	Fat
13g	Carbs
6g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3to 5
Amount per serving
Calories	134
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g	9%
Saturated Fat 4g	19%
Cholesterol 20mg	7%
Sodium 90mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate 13g	5%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 1mg	5%
Calcium 252mg	19%
Iron 0mg	2%
Potassium 302mg	6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.