That being said, the way Chai is served in many establishments isn't very true to the original version. In America for example most Chai is made using a Chai concentrate, syrup, or powder.
Sometimes it can be found in the form of teabags, and rarely as loose leaf tea mixed with spices. Though you may find some coffee shops that offer Chai made from scratch, the above is the norm.
Another interesting point is the Chai lattes. Chai has become a sort of treat in the West, partly because it seems exotic but also reminds folks of autumn and spiced apple pie or various baked goods.
Thus, the Chai latte is a form of Pumpkin Spice Latte. Folks love it for the spices, rather than the overall drink experience. It might sound like a very tea snob thing to say, and maybe I am. But Chai isn't meant to have that amount of milk in it. And There's also a big difference between the Chai concentrates and the loose leaf Chai you can make at home.
So in short, if you've never had Chai and want to get one because you're curious, don't get a latte. Go out and find a good coffee or tea shop that offers the real deal, or as close to it as they can get.
Alright, let's talk a little about the spice mix, because this matters so, so much. Note that whichever way you mix the spices you still get Masala Chai mixed spice tea. However the proportions of each ingredient and whether they're added or not will really define the Chai.
If you've ever been in the spices section of the supermarket, you may have seen a 'Garam Masala' of curry here or there. All that is is mixed spices, according to the recipe of the Garam region in India. As for Chai, the word itself means tea. It's derived from the Chinese 'cha', and calling Chai tea translates to 'tea tea'. But Chai has very deep roots in Indian culture and cuisine, so let's explore that a little bit as well.
In very short and simplified terms, one of the main gods Dhanvantari to be exact decided to walk among the mortals one day. Thus he began to teach medicine to any sage who would listen, and one of them wrote the teachings in a book. Ayurvedic medicine is thousands of years old, and has many home remedies for common and severe ailments.
The emphasis on spices and plants is very strong, and the main ingredients of Chai were derived from Ayurvedic texts. The original version of Masala Chai was meant to be medicine, and nothing else. It was not meant to be pleasing but useful. It was the spices themselves that got people to really like this type of remedy, and it's one of the remedies that have stuck around since ancient times.
Often it's the grandma of the house that prepares Chai for those in need of some help to get through the cold and rainy season. If you take a look through your pantry you probably already have most of the spices necessary for Masala Chai. Cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, black pepper, black tea, star anise, ginger, nutmeg, whole milk. If you're missing some of them, don't worry. As long as you've got to work with you're good to go. The most common combination is cardamom, black pepper, and cinnamon.
If you have no black tea on hand, a plain box of black tea teabags will do the job well enough. Masala Chai spiced tea , or simply Chai, Chai Tea or Chai Latte as it has become known in Australia, is spiced milk tea usually sweetened. Originating from India, Chai is widespread with many household and regional variations. The folklore surrounding Chai dates back to between and years ago to an ancient royal court — either India or Siam.
It was said that the reigning king created the recipe as a healing Ayurvedic beverage. Throughout the earlier years Chai was prepared via a diverse range of methods and contained an equally diverse array of spices. In the British East India Company established tea plantations in Assam in an attempt to reverse the overwhelming Chinese monopoly on tea supply to Great Britain. Almost everywhere you go—in trains, on streets, in sari shops—you will see people gulping down the sweet, spicy, milky beverage.
In America, "chai" has become known as a flavor of tea with predominantly cinnamon or cardamom notes. But in India, chai is not a flavor of tea; it is tea—chai literally translates to "tea" in Hindi, so when you are saying "chai tea," you are basically saying, "tea tea. Chai culture in India developed out of British colonization.
During this time, the British East India Company was thriving, with tea from Assam, India being one of its biggest commodities. Tea consumption in India grew, and eventually, Indians took the British preparation of tea—black with milk and sugar—and put their own spin on it, with the addition of spices such as ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
Nowadays, India is not only one of the largest producers of tea in the world, but also one of the biggest consumers of it. In most big cities, you'll find chaiwallas vendors who specifically sell chai on every corner, with their enormous steel pots or kettles full of simmering chai. If you go to someone's house in India, there is a percent chance of chai being served. There are regional variations, too: in Kashmir, people will sometimes use green tea instead of black tea, and almonds are often added.
In Bhopal, chai might have a pinch of salt in it. For the most part, however, the basic components of chai are the same: tea, milk, spices, and sweetener.
Also included in my expert panel: my mother, Ritu Krishna—a formidable chai maker all her own. With a few exceptions, the base of chai is a black tea. There are many variations of black tea, but Assam is the most common in chai, as it has a strong, full-bodied flavor.
Some people will get fancy and use a mixture of teas—my mother combines Assam and Darjeeling tea in her chai because the former imparts "color and body," and the latter imparts "aroma and flavor," she says. Chai almost always includes milk, and that milk is usually whole. Sharma says whole milk is the best way to bring out the richness in all the spices. Conclusion: whole milk or bust. Chai can include a number of different spices. Cardamom is the most common ingredient, followed by some mixture of cinnamon, ginger, star anise and cloves.
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