Masala chai - Food and Travel

Masala chai

Fancy a cup of chai?

Masala chai, literally 'mixed-spice tea' is a flavoured tea beverage made by brewing black tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs.

Although traditionally prepared by a decoction of green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground ginger, and black peppercorn together with black tea leaves, retail versions include tea bags for infusion, instant powdered mixtures, and concentrates. In many places, there is a misconception that "chai" in itself is made with cardamom, ginger, and the other common spices.

The tea is available all throughout India, the 'chai' part of the name simply meaning 'tea'. It is widely regarded as being helpful to health. Read more....

The simplest traditional method of preparing masala chai is by simmering or boiling a mixture of milk and water with loose leaf tea, sweeteners, and whole spices. Indian markets all over the world sell various brands of "chai masala" powder, for this purpose, though many households or tea vendors, known in India as "chai wallahs", blend their own. The solid tea and spice residues are strained off from masala chai before serving.

The method may vary according to taste or local custom: example, some households may combine all of the ingredients together at the start, bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately strain and serve; others may leave the mixture simmering for a longer amount of time, or begin by bringing the tea leaves to a boil and only add the spices toward the end (or vice-versa).

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