What is it?

The word chai comes from the Chinese word for tea, cha. Masala refers to a blend of spices used in Indian or South Asian cuisine. Therefore, when one uses the term Masala Chai, they could be talking about any tea made with a blend of Indian or South Asian spices.

Most often though, what they are referring to is a tea blended with a specific Chai spice blend known as a karha. While the specific spices used in these karhas may vary, common choices include cardamom, clove, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppercorn, star anise, vanilla, or fennel. The tea used is usually black Assam tea, specifically tea leaves that have been cut into smaller pieces using the "crush, tear, curl," or CTC, method. Dairy products and sweeteners are often added, especially in Chai Lattes, which use steamed milk in the preparation.

While it's difficult to imagine Chai without its trademark spices now, this was not always the intended vision when this tea got its start. Much of the big push towards tea consumption in India outside of medicinal usage was a result of the British.

Attempting to compete with the Chinese tea market, they started a campaign to encourage companies to provide their laborers with tea breaks. The companies, hoping to save money on the actual tea leaves, mixed the tea with milk and spices. The British, though at first annoyed with this partial success, ultimately had to admit to the deliciousness of the blends, leading to the Masala Chai we know today.

At Adagio, our Masala Chai uses Ceylon (Sri Lankan) tea instead of Assam, with a delicious blend of cardamom, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.

Preparation and Taste

Masala Chai has a distinct warm, spiced taste and scent to it, with common Indian spices pairing with the depth of the black tea for a perfect pot.

Notably, however, this rich, layered flavor requires more time and tea than the average steep, with a recommended 1-2 tsp per cup and a 7-10 minute steeping time. It's also almost always enjoyed with dairy and sugar, to the point that you can also steep it directly into milk and sugar on the stove. Just be careful not to burn the milk!

Flavor Pairings

Because of the intensity of its flavor, Masala Chai is not a great meal pairing for most lighter meals, particularly if the tea is mixed with sugar and dairy.

That being said, there are many flavors that can pair well inside of a Masala Chai or Chai Latte, including vanilla, chocolate, pumpkin, or lavender, to name a few. Since many common spices used in cooking and baking like cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon are found in Masala Chai, it can also be a great addition to wet ingredients in baked goods, marinades, and more.

Tea can replace water in almost any recipe, so feel free to experiment if you want to bring the depth and warmth of black tea and spice!

Recipes

TeaChef has loads of Masala Chai recipes to try, ranging from baked goods and mixed drinks to popsicles, soups, chia puddings, and more. Just search for "Chai" to find your new favorite, and if you make one of your own, make sure to share it with us!

Similar Teas

If you like Masala Chai, that's just the tip of the Chai tea iceberg. We have over 15 varieties of spiced tea to try, including our Golden Turmeric Chai, Arabica Chai, Chaga Chai, and Rooibos Vanilla Chai to name a few. If you're looking for something fiery, try our newest addition Try Pepper Chai.

We also offer a Chai Sampler if you're having trouble deciding.

We hope you've enjoyed this thorough introduction to Masala Chai. If you find your new favorite Chai or recipe, please let us know on social @AdagioTeas. Enjoy!