CHAI TEA
A taste of India
A black tea characterised by diversity and its cultural background
Words such as awesome, appetising and adaptable perhaps best describe chai tea. Once you’ve tasted chai, the national drink of India, you will never again look at the world of tea varieties with more traditional flavours in the same way. Here in Germany, the popularity of this drink, usually based on black tea, is growing and for this reason we’ve decided that it is time to establish what exactly it is that makes this beverage so unique.
In the following, we’ll be looking in more detail at what is actually needed to create the perfectly flavoured cup of chai, what factors should be taken into account during preparation and how you can make your own chai tea taste sensation with ease at home using the Avoury One® tea machine.
What is chai tea?
To put it simply, the words ‘’chai” and “tea” actually mean exactly the same thing. “Chai” in fact means “tea” in Hindi although it is ultimately derived from the Chinese for tea - “cha”. In order to avoid confusion, the phrase “masala chai” is often used - the word “masala” means a “mixture of spices”. So chai tea (or masala chai if you prefer) is therefore a spiced tea.
Almost everywhere you go in contemporary India you will come across this kind of tea that usually consists of black tea blended with spices and herbs. You’ll find it offered by street sellers on corners and even part of the standard fare in the most sophisticated eateries and restaurants. Perhaps one of the most unusual aspects of chai is the fact that aroma and flavour can differ so greatly. This is because everyone has their own preferences when it comes to the ingredients.
Chai tea ingredients - a combination that is unrestrained
Many of the spices that are ingredients in a typical chai tea are regarded as having beneficial properties in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine. So, for instance, cardamon is considered to stimulate the digestion while ginger cures nausea and revitalises the metabolism. The roots of this spiced tea can thus be traced back to the therapeutic principles of this form of healing.
The typical foundation on which a traditional masala chai is constructed is a powerfully flavoured black tea. The ingredients most commonly added to give the tea its spicy character are:
● Cardamom
● Cinnamon
● Pepper
● Ginger
● Cloves
● Anise
And there is a wealth of other ingredients that we could add to this list. When it comes to chai, there is no “correct” or “incorrect” spice blend that can be used to make chai - in contrast with other recipes for tea beverages. What ingredients you choose to add depends entirely on your own taste.
Many families in India have their own individual spice blends that have been handed down through the generations. And these ingredients can also differ by region. Every interpretation of masala chai is, in its own way, unique. It is this permitted diversity when it comes to flavourings that gives this black tea its special character and tastes and aromas that are never the same.
Chai tea with milk and sugar - a widespread form of the beverage
The kick of the added spice blend that distinguishes this tea can, in some cases, be overpowering. To tone down any such bite, masala chai is frequently drunk with milk and sugar. The milk softens the predominance of the flavour of the spices while the sugar - honey or stevia can also be used - gives chai an additional touch of sweetness.
And it doesn’t have to be milk from the cow if you want to enjoy the flavour to the full. Vegan alternatives, such as almond, oat and soya milk will do the job just as well, providing the perfect contrast with the spice blend. If you would like to know more about how best to combine milk products with tea and what to do about the vexed problem of what should go in the cup first, see our article on Tea with milk.
MUMBAI CHAI® – for a cupful of the tea traditions of India
Because of all the variations that make up the range of “classic” chai, a great deal of skill is required to capture the abundance of flavours and aromas in a single product. But we have managed it – our MUMBAI CHAI is the captivating result.
We’ve combined an intense black tea with a potpourri of spices, consisting of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. The intrinsic tastes of these spices are discreetly accentuated by the addition of a small selection of natural flavourings, making our MUMBAI CHAI into a pure indulgence.
When it comes to personal tastes, however, Avoury’s chai tea is, like the Indian original, fully adaptable. Having brewed a cup, you can add other spices to your liking and even other ingredients, such as orange and bay leaves or chilli and vanilla pods; there is essentially no limit to the way you can adapt your cup of chai to your own individual preferences.
Top with a portion of frothed milk and you’ve got yourself a proper chai latte, a beverage that has recently become increasingly trendy among young tea drinkers. Thanks to the creative blend of ingredients in our MUMBAI CHAI, Avoury will enable you to get the basis for an iconic chai latte ready at just the press of a button. A chai tea recipe - enjoyment designed by Avoury so to say.
Moreover, our MUMBAI CHAI is not only a spicy delight when drunk hot, but can also be used to prepare a delicious ice cream cocktail. Add some vanilla ice cream and our STRONG MASCOVADO SUGAR and you’ll have a drink that combines the punch of the Indian national drink with the refreshing cooling effect of a scoop of ice cream.
See the Mumbai Vanilla section on our recipe page for more details.
Does chai tea contain caffeine?
Yes, chai does usually contain caffeine. The level of caffeine present is, of course, determined by the tea that is used as the basis for the blend. Our MUMBAI CHAI, for instance, contains caffeine. If you would prefer a caffeine-free alternative without the exotic spices – a tea in the evening that will help you relax – Avoury offers a wide range of fruit teas and herbal teas that can be enjoyed both during the day and at night.
How to prepare chai tea
The standard way of preparing a cup of masala chai is as follows:
● First heat the water to 95°C in a pot
● Add your black/masala tea (2 - 3 teaspoonfuls)
● Now add any additional spices you’ve selected
● Allow to infuse for 3 minutes
● Add 200 ml milk and reheat
● Add a sweetener (such as sugar) to taste
● Strain the tea from the pot you are using into a cup
● Now all you have to do is enjoy drinking your tea
However, at Avoury we have made preparation even easier thanks to our Avoury One tea machine and our practical Avoury ® TeaCycle Cap®. The Avoury One automatically selects the correct brewing temperature for MUMBAI CHAI while the portioning provided by the capsule ensures that the correct amount of tea is used per cup. You can even leave the Avoury one to choose the infusion time for you - at 3 minutes per cup you can rest assured the result will provide for the optimum development of flavour and aroma.
So, to get that perfect cup of tea, all you have to do is insert the corresponding capsule in the machine. The code printed on each capsule tells the machine the correct settings to use for the ideal result. All that is required of you is to start the programme, wait a couple of minutes and then, if you want a masala chai, add sugar and milk to taste to your freshly brewed tea and sit back and enjoy.
