Masala chai

Masala chai (Hindi (मसाला चाय [masālā chāy], "spiced tea") is a beverage made by brewing tea with a mixture of aromatic spices. By itself, chai is merely the generic word for tea in Iran, India and much of the world, but for many English speakers, "chai" is always construed as "chai masala".

Terminology

Plain chai

Chai (Persian: چاى, Arabic: شَاي, Hindi: चाय, Urdu: چاۓ, Russian: чай, Turkish: çay ^[1], ultimately from the Chinese word chá (茶) ^[2]) is the word for tea in Iran, Asia, Brazil, North and East Africa and Eastern Europe. Cognates in other languages include the Bengali, Gujarati, and Punjabi chāh, and the Marathi chahā. For the etymology of chai and related words see etymology and cognates of tea.

In much of South Asia, chai is more popular than coffee, and street vendors called "chai wallahs" (sometimes spelled "chaiwalas") are a common sight in many South Asian neighborhoods. It is also popular in Irani cafés. Chai tea has about the same amount of caffeine as coffee.

Spiced tea

For many English speakers outside those regions, the term "chai" is synonymous with "masala chai". The redundant term chai tea is sometimes used to indicate spiced milky tea as distinct from other types of tea. Numerous coffee houses use the term chai latte for their version to indicate that the steamed milk of a normal cafe latte is being flavored with a spiced tea concentrate instead of with espresso.

Preparation of masala chai

From scratch

The simplest traditional method of preparing masala chai is to actively simmer or boil a mixture of milk and water with loose leaf tea, sweeteners, and whole spices. The prolonged high heat results in a more robust beverage than the relatively delicate flavors obtained from many other tea preparation methods in which hot (but not boiling) water is poured over tea leaves and allowed to cool toward room temperature. The solid tea and spice residues are strained off from masala chai before serving.

The preparation method can be varied according to taste or local custom: for 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).

Commercial chai spice mixtures

Indian markets all over the world sell various brands of "chai masala," (Hindi चाय मसाला [chāy masālā], "tea spice" ) for this purpose, though many households blend their own.

Some American supermarkets now sell bottles of premixed "chai spice" alongside their dried herbs and other spices. Unlike Indian spice mixtures, the American ones are generally made from powdered spices (and sometimes sugar) and can be added at the last minute to an already-brewed cup of tea as there is no need (or way) to strain off the solids.

Tea-based mixes/concentrates

Liquid "chai concentrates" have become very popular for their convenience, as these spiced, sweetened tea-based syrups merely require dilution with milk, water, or both to create a flavorful hot or cold beverage.

Both dry instant mixes and liquid concentrates can be replicated at home. Unsweetened iced-tea powder can be tailored to individual taste with powdered spices, sugar, and (if desired for convenience and mouthfeel) dry nonfat milk and dry nondairy creamer; the result can be mixed with hot water to produce a form of instant chai masala. This form of dry mix has certain disadvantages, however: the powdered spices may leave an unpleasant grainy residue at the bottom of the cup, and it may dissolve poorly in cold water, especially in the presence of dry milk/creamer powders.

Similarly, a liquid concentrate can be made by brewing an unusually concentrated pot of highly spiced tea, so that the dilution of a small amount into a cup of hot water or a glass of cold milk results in roughly the same concentration of tea as in a normally-proportioned brew; e.g., to make a syrup from which one ounce suffices to make one eight-ounce cup of normal chai when diluted, brew tea (and the proportional quantity of spices) at eight times normal concentration.

Components of masala chai

A boy in Mysore, India preparing masala chai

There is no fixed recipe or preparation method for masala chai and many families have their own special versions of the tea. The key to making good tea is to leave the tea leaves (or tea dust) in the hot/boiling water long enough to get the flavor of the tea but not too long. Excessive exposure of tea to heat will release the bitter tannins in the tea leaves. Because of the huge range of possible variations, masala chai can be considered a class of tea rather than a specific kind. But all masala chai has the following four basic components:

Tea

The base tea is usually a strong black tea, such as Assam, so that the various spices and sweeteners do not overpower it. However, a wide variety of teas can be and are used to make chai. Most chai in India proper is brewed with strong black tea, but Kashmiri chai is brewed with gunpowder tea. Sometimes the drink is prepared with tisanes such as rooibos, and even with the South American beverage yerba mate, though these innovations are entirely Western.

Sweetener

Plain white sugar is sufficient, although individual tastes may favour the caramelised notes from Demarara, other brown sugars, palm or coconut sugars, or the more complex slight acidity of honey. A surprisingly large quantity of sugar may be required to bring out the flavour of the spices; one recipe uses three tablespoons of sugar in 3.5 cups of chai.

Milk

Usually, whole milk is used for its richness, but any milkfat concentration or non-dairy milk (soy, rice, etc) will do. Generally, masala chai is made by having 1/4 to 1/2 parts milk mixed with water and then heated close to or to boiling temperature. In Western countries, eggnog is sometimes used in chai during the Christmas season.

Spices

The traditional Masala Chai is a bracing, strongly spiced beverage brewed with so-called "warm" spices. Most masala chai incorporates one or more of the following: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, peppercorn, and cloves. Other possible ingredients include nutmeg, chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, liquorice, rose flavouring (where rose petals are boiled along with the loose-leaf tea) or saffron.

Cardamom is a dominant note in traditional chai masala, to the extent that it would be hard to classify a tea as being chai without it. For example, cinnamon (ex. cinnamon/apple tea), vanilla (ex. tea with vanilla extract or flavour), or star anise (ex. thai tea alone) would not make the tea a "chai tea," as there has to make something specific to make a tea qualify as chai. If the tea doesn't have cardamom in it, then it would have to use other common Indian spices for it to be classified as chai. For instance, ginger, black pepper, and especially cloves are used in Indian masala mixtures and cuisine. Having ginger or black pepper is considered important as it gives chai a slightly spicy flavour. In India, for example, fresh ginger is usually used. Chai recipe. In Western India, mint leaves are also considered a major ingredient, whilst star anise, black pepper and cinnamon are expressly avoided.^{[citation needed]}

Other masala chai variations

The Kashmiri version of chai is brewed with green tea instead of black tea and has a more subtle blend of flavorings: almonds, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, and sometimes saffron.

Many Western commercial preparations such as Oregon Chai are strongly flavoured with vanilla and honey, with spices relegated to a far more minor role. For example, some American brands such as Tazo mix classic Indian spices with vanilla and anise. This results in a far mellower beverage with a markedly different flavour, especially since vanilla and chocolate are generally not used in authentic chai masala.

Some American coffeehouses offer a version of masala chai augmented with espresso, but this beverage does not have any one universally recognized name. Depending on the establishment, it may be called "java chai", "red eye chai", "chai charger", "tough guy chai", "dirty chai", or many other different names.