If you’ve been in a coffee house or large chain bookstore recently, you’ve probably seen chai or chai latte on the menu. While these drinks do have some relation to traditional chai, they’re only distant relations. True chai remains a tea-based drink that stems from India’s Ayurvedic traditions. It makes an excellent choice for someone who, for whatever reason, has chosen to abstain from coffee.
More properly known as masala chai, this combination of herbs, spices and tea came into being on the Indian subcontinent centuries ago, and is still enjoyed frequently there, both for its delicious taste and its health benefits.
A cup of masala chai
Tea plants have grown wild for centuries in areas of Asia, but instead of being considered merely a beverage, teas were medicinal in nature. With the addition of “warm” spices, this drink is thought to stimulate digestion and invigorate the body. In Western countries, chai is enjoyed mainly for its spicy sweet taste, but more people are beginning to discover the health benefits of chai, especially in a coffee-free lifestyle.
When made in the traditional fashion, with black tea, chai is not caffeine free; however, it has only about half of the caffeine of a similarly-sized cup of coffee. The tea is not steeped, but boiled, along with the spices; this makes for a strong, fragrant brew. The trick is to simmer the tea leaves long enough to release their oils, but not so long as to release the bitter-tasting tannins.
Spices are warming and stimulating, and it is for this reason, as well as their flavor, that they’re added to the brew. Cardamon is traditionally the dominant note, with cinnamon, fresh ginger, star anise, peppercorn and cloves also being added. Any or all of these spices may be used; there is not one particular recipe for masala chai. After the tea and spices are brewed, a sweetener is added, such as honey, any of the brown or caramelized sugars, or refined white sugar. Whole milk is also added; equal parts of milk and water are mixed and heated to boiling, and then added to the brew.
A variety of spices for masala chai
If you’ve decided to avoid coffee to avoid caffeine, chai can be made with a base of white or rooibos teas, which are caffeine free. While these brews won’t have the same flavor as traditional masala chai, they are delicious and invigorating in their own right.
Give chai a chance, in place of your usual coffee or tea. You’l probably find yourself reaching for this spicy mixture again and again.
