Chai
Chai is the word for tea across much of Asia; in English it usually means masala chai, black tea boiled with milk, sugar and spices such as cardamom and ginger.
Definition
Chai comes from the Mandarin and Cantonese cha, which traveled overland into Persian, Hindi, Urdu, Russian, Turkish and many other languages. In India, chai simply means tea, and the everyday cup is black tea boiled with milk and sugar. When spices are added it becomes masala chai, "spiced tea". In English-speaking markets the single word chai has come to mean the spiced version, so "chai tea" literally says "tea tea". Tea drinking spread widely in India in the twentieth century, helped by promotion from the Indian tea industry. Street vendors (chaiwalas) adapted it with plenty of milk and sugar, and over time added spices. Common spices are green cardamom, fresh ginger, cinnamon, clove and black pepper, with fennel, star anise or nutmeg in some households. There is no single recipe. The tea is usually strong CTC Assam, which brews fast and stays forceful under milk and spice. Café chai lattes are typically made from a sweetened concentrate or powder mixed with steamed milk, which is closer to a dessert drink than to stovetop chai.
In Depth
Stovetop method: for two cups, simmer 250 ml water with 4 crushed cardamom pods, 2-3 slices of fresh ginger and a small piece of cinnamon for 3-4 minutes. Add 2-3 teaspoons (6-8 g) of CTC Assam and boil 1-2 minutes, add 250 ml milk and 2-4 teaspoons sugar, bring back to a rolling boil two or three times, then strain. Boiling is intentional; the tea has to be strong enough to stand up to milk.
Tea choice: CTC granules give a dark, strong brew in minutes. Whole-leaf orthodox tea gives a lighter, more aromatic chai and needs longer boiling.
Caffeine: a cup of chai contains roughly the caffeine of a cup of black tea, about 40-70 mg, depending on how much leaf is used.
See Also
- Indian Tea Culture
- Masala Chai
- Spiced Tea