Spiced/Chai

Spicy, cozy, warming, and aromatic. In America, “chai” describes any tea with accents of exotic spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and clove. But in India, “chai” is simply their translated word for “tea,” as almost all tea is drunk with the addition of spices and served as a latte with milk and sugar. In India, chai is a way of life and almost everywhere you go—in trains, on streets, in shops—you will see people sipping on the sweet, spicy, milky beverage.

Tea was originally a food and medicine long before it became a beverage. Chai is no different—spiced teas are rooted in traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine and have beneficial effects on the body. The ingredients used in chai may reduce inflammation, aid digestion, reduce blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, soothe nausea, enhance immunity, help with weight loss, and provide a powerful punch of antioxidants.

There are numerous chai recipes featuring a warming blend of ingredients such as black tea, ginger, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and peppercorns. In India, black tea and cardamom are the most common ingredients and chai is almost always prepared extra-strong with milk and sugar. In the west, we often spice things up with the addition of vanilla, coconut, or other flavorful pairings and can serve either as a plain sipping tea or with milk, honey, or sweetener.

All of our chai teas taste excellent on their own steeped in water as a traditional tea. We have also created a few chai blends to brew with milk and sugar. Because the addition of milk can subdue the flavor of tea, the blends we recommend for chai lattes are made from broken leaf teas and crushed spices which make them extra potent.