What makes the chai latte such a special drink?

Did you know that in the West we call spiced teas ''Chai'', but in India Chai simply means ''tea''?

Chai Latte is a tea that simply shouldn’t be missing from any authentic tea-lover’s pantry. Its intense blend of flavours, spicy tones and characteristic aroma and flavour make it a unique herbal tea that provides an exciting taste experience even the most demanding tea drinkers.

Chai Latte is a tea that boasts a history of more than 4000 years and has been able to adapt thanks to its range of health benefits and the staggering variety of varieties and ways this tea can be enjoyed.

Do you want to discover why Chai tea and Chai Latte both make such a special drink? Do you want to discover interesting facts about this tea? And learn more about some of its properties? If the answer is yes, this is the post for you!

WHAT IS CHAI TEA?

Chai tea, also known as Masala Chai, is a traditional drink from Southern India that is made up of a blend of teas with spices and aromatic herbs.  

Drinks which can be categorised as Chai herbal tea infusions feature blends using teas other than just black tea. For example, our Chai Latte, which can also be made using green tea, our Indian Yogi (renowned as an after-yoga drink),or our red pu erh chai tea- the perfect detox blend! And let’s not forget our Rooibos Chai, made with decaffeinated rooibos!

This tea can be made using a wide variety of tea blends, as well as a huge number of spices and ingredients to give it a different twist.  

It’s fair to say that the most traditional and well-known Chai tea blend always contains sweet fennel, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom seeds and pepper, which gives us our authentic Chai Latte! A fusion of black teas with spices that helps you regulate the kapha dosha, increasing your energy and activating your metabolism.

Chai tea’s blend of ingredients speaks for itself. All of the ingredients used to make this delicious blend feature intense and unmistakable flavours that give off Eastern aromas that send our taste buds on a voyage to faraway shores.

CHAI TEA’S ORIGINS AND PROPERTIES

Chai is a variety of tea that is intrinsically linked to Eastern culture and while its origins can be traced to India, the tea itself started due to the influence of the English on the country at the time.

Although the English started planting this variety of tea during the course of the 19th century in a bid to end the monopoly held by China in the world of tea production ( Chai actually comes from the Chinese word “TCha / Ch’a, meaning tea!), it was in India where, thanks to local cuisine, spices were added to the legendary black tea, creating endless varieties of Chai.  

These modifications didn’t just lead to a massive range of exotic flavours typical to each region, but also created teas that featured medicinal properties (the properties provided by each spice used in the blend!).

For all of these reasons alone, Chai tea’s unmistakable blend is not only capable of helping us disconnect and switch off for special moments of relaxation, but also contributes excellent benefits for looking after our health and well-being.  

The most impressive benefits include the antioxidant, diuretic and digestive properties found in the tea itself, as well as the natural pain-relieving qualities of cloves, antiseptic, thew soothing expectorant properties of cardamom and the control of cholesterol and sugar levels provided by cinnamon.

INCREDIBLE CHAI TEA

Indian Chai started as a tradition when Ayurvedic medicine combined with British culture to unite both customs: tea and spices!  

The mix quickly gained popularity and became known as Masala Chai.

Chai quickly became known as India’s national drink (becoming one of the most commonplace among Indians), and a range of different flavours like Chai Latte, which is usually made with lots of milk, were born as a result of this trend.  

The Chai latte features an extraordinary balance and harmony between milk and spices.  

The milk softens the spicy flavours, while the condiments themselves give the milk a special flavour, aroma and texture.  

That’s why Chai Latte, with its ability to transport us to Eastern shores with each sip and make the perfect coffee alternative, has become one of the most popular drinks in the Americas and Europe.

However, there a variety of ways to make Chai Tea Latte, rather than the traditional method of mixing Chai with milk, including a number of pre-made blends that feature the mix of aroma and flavours ready to make the perfect tea when infusing.  

A great example of this is the Chai Latte that you’ll find at Tea Shop, featuring an impressive mix of black tea, cinnamon, ginger, pink pepper, liquorice and milk aromas, designed to fill you with energy and good vibes. To start the day with a big smile and energy!

Discover the most explosive and surprising flavour combinations with a good cup of Chai tea and start enjoying this beneficial, enjoyable and thousand-year-old drink.

HOW CAN I MAKE A CHAI LATTE?

Give your energy a boost with the most Delicious and traditional Chai tea recipe. Follow the steps in our video recipe and enjoy Chai’s spices combined with milk!! If you want to learn how to prepare your tea with milk, enter and become an expert.

BUY CHAI ONLINE AT TEA SHOP

At Tea Shop you will find a wide variety of bulk teas with which you can discover an endless number of flavors. Tea leaves are picked and processed in an artisanal way so as not to lose any of their aroma or properties, discover the benefits of bulk tea at Tea Shop's online store! If you want to taste the fantastic world of chai like our Chai Latte Black Tea, don't miss our chai and chai latte.