Chai pronounced with a chocolatey “ch” and rhyming with “sky” is a generic word for “tea” in many parts of the world. “Chai” in the US is an abbreviation of “Masala Chai” (“Masala,” meaning a mixture of spices, and “Chai,” meaning a milky, sweetened, tea) which has been created after its counterparts in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet. Knowing that in general, consumers are unfamiliar with Chai, the industry has taken to calling it a “Chai Tea Latte”. Although “chai” may initially have no meaning, when a consumer hears, “Tea Latte” one understands this is a “milky tea” beverage.

Chai’s history is over 5000 years old, with its creators enjoying it both hot and cold. Some stories say it was invented by a royal king in the ancient courts of India & Siam who protected the recipe as one of his treasures. However, its roots can be traced unmistakably to the Hindu natural healing system called “ayurveda” in which combinations of spices, herbs and sweeteners are used to cure bodily ailments.

Simply said, (masala) chai is a combination of spices which are ground and boiled then tea is added to the mixture to steep. The mixture is strained and then mixed with milk and sweetened with honey. Recipes may differ but there are some essentials: Traditional masala chai is a mix of sweet and savory spices such as cloves, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom (which is a base spice in almost any masala chai), peppercorn, ginger and sometimes fennel, which are ground and boiled in water. Black tea is then added to the spice mixture which is steeped to preference, strained, then combined with any choice of milk and sweetened with honey. A sweetener is necessary in masala chai to bring out the robust flavors of the spices. In India, masala chai is prepared at home but is also available wherever people gather such as on trains, at bus stations and in marketplaces by street vendors called “wallahs” who call out “chai!” The wallahs serve the chai in low-fired clay cups called “chullarhs” that they make on open fires.

Chai in the US may have considerable variations on the original. First, either herbs, or green tea may be substituted for the black tea base. The sweet and savory spice components will differ as to which are included as well as to the quantity of each. Including more of one spice than another will change the flavor profile dramatically. For example, many US versions are heavy on the sweet spices and may eliminate the savory spices. Peppercorns are typically included in traditional masala chai, but many recipes in the US eliminate them altogether.