Chai Tea

What Makes a Great Chai Tea?

The name “chai” comes from the Hindi word for “tea”, which itself is derived from “cha”, the Chinese word for “tea”. In this case, the Hindi term chai refers to a mix of spices steeped into a tea-based beverage. Traditional chai tea features black tea blended with strong spices, such as:

Cinnamon: sweet and woody flavour, with a slight citrusy note, and spicy taste.

Cardamom: a warm and fragrant cross between eucalyptus, mint, and pepper—more

citrusy than fennel and sweeter than cumin.

Cloves: an intensely aromatic spice with a subtly sweet flavour that lends plenty of warmth to your chai tea.

Ginger: hot, zesty, and biting flavour, with a slightly peppery, sweet, and spicy aroma.

Star anise: very strong, distinct flavour that is warm, sweet, and spicy, similar to licorice.

Fennel: warm and sweet flavour that is reminiscent of aniseed and licorice, with sweet, yet somewhat spicy and peppery aroma.

Black peppercorns: pungent and aromatic, with a spicy, woody, warm, and herbaceous flavour.

While Chai Tea has steadily been gaining in popularity in North America over the last couple of decades, it dates back more than 5,000 years, when it was used in Ayurveda as a healing tea. Today chai tea is a staple in many coffee and tea houses; however, the quality of these versions of chai is often a far cry from the original Indian Masala Chai. This is why, if you aren’t making your own chai, and prefer a pre-made option, pay attention to the ingredients panel of the product you’re considering. Look for one that uses organic black tea and spices to impart the brew with its characteristic warm earthy balanced tones of ginger, and clove, and sweet notes of cardamom, cinnamon, and fennel. Also, steer clear of teas featuring any added flavours or sweeteners, especially anything artificial.

Chai tea - taste, texture, aroma

The wide variety of chai recipes means the brew can take on many different flavour profiles depending on the ingredients used. For instance, chai that uses a lot of ginger and black peppercorns can have a fiery bite, while those that feature more vanilla, cinnamon, or nutmeg will impart a sweeter note. Likewise, a chai tea that relies more heavily on fennel or cumin will have a savory flavour, and those that incorporate saffron or cacao will have a little more of an earthy, bitter quality. A perfect chai tea should strike the perfect balance of smooth, creamy, spicy, as well as strong and sweet, but the spices should never overshadow the flavour of the black tea itself. Regardless of your spice blend, by and large, all chai teas deliver a bold flavour that is strong enough for even the hardiest of palettes.

Brewing a perfect cup of chai tea

Chai can be prepared with water alone, a mixture of water and milk, or milk alone, depending on your particular preference. In India chai is traditionally made with water buffalo milk – one part milk to 2 to 4 parts water, which is then heated to the boiling point. In North America, we tend to prepare our chai with regular milk, or oat, almond, soy, cashew, or any other vegan milk, and honey is also typically added. Sometimes chai is blended with sweetened condensed milk for extra sweetness (a nice dessert once in a while!).

Making chai from scratch isn't difficult, but it does take some time. The traditional brewing method involves grinding spices by hand with a mortar and pestle to obtain the best flavour. You then combine the ground spices, into your milk of choice, and water in a saucepan over high heat, and bring to a rolling boil. Once the liquid reaches 212 F, you remove it from the heat and add the black tea (either loose-leaf or tea bags). The saucepan should then be covered and the tea left to steep for 10 minutes. Use a fine-mesh strainer to remove loose leaves from the tea concentrate, and enjoy!

Active Compounds in Chai Tea

• Caffeine – The caffeine content in chai tea is considerably less than that in coffee, and contributes to the beverages flavour profile; lending acidity, astringency, and bitterness. Caffeine is well known to confer certain health benefits such as helping to lift mood, and improving attention, alertness, processing speed, reaction time, and mental performance.
• Flavonoids – Potent antioxidants which impart chai tea with much of its creamy texture, and smooth mouthfeel. Flavonoids have been shown to boost the body’s antioxidant defences, as well as can aid weight loss, and help maintain stable blood sugar.
• Gallic acid – One of the main phenolic components in black tea, gallic acid is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. It can help support digestion, cardiovascular health, and cognition.
• Phenolic acids – Aromatic acid compounds with antioxidant properties. They can help control inflammation, promote healthy blood sugar, as well as support healthy aging.
• Tannins – A group bioflavonoids with antioxidant properties. Much like with wine, tannins impart the black tea used in chai with much of its flavour profile: astringency, bitterness, and acidity. Tannins are used to make ellagic acid inside the body, which supports healthy cell growth and division.
• Theanine – An amino acid found in black tea, Theanine, has a slightly savoury taste and is what imparts black tea with its mild umami flavour. Theanine is sold as a standalone supplement because of its ability to help calm the symptoms of stress and anxiety, as well as to support the production of neurotransmitters in the brain

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