The very first versions of chai tea were made entirely of spices and naturally decaffeinated. Black tea was added when the British colonized India. Milk and sweetener are included as another flavor option. You can make chai from powder, steep it each time you want a cup, or make your own concentrate.
1) Basic Chai Blend
The primary ground spices in a basic chai tea are
- 2 parts cinnamon
- 2 parts ginger
- 2 parts cardamom
- 1 part cloves
- 1 part coriander
Blend your ground spices and a 1/4 teaspoon of a combination of milk and water to taste; 1/2 milk and 1/2 water is a good start. Warm this combination of liquid and spices to low steam and blend in a bit of sweetener. Finally, add your loose black tea or a black tea bag.
As a general rule, black tea tannins can overpower your fragrant, flavorful spices. You want to let your spices, milk, and sugar blend and warm up gently before adding the tea. Let the mixture and tea steep for five minutes before enjoying your beverage.
2) Spicy Chai Concentrate
Making spicy chai means using the spices listed above and adding anise, allspice berries, and black peppercorns. Remember, it’s the tea that adds the caffeine. If you want a flavorful beverage before bed but really don’t need the caffeine, simply steep your spices and milk with a decaffeinated black tea bag.
3) Premixed Powders
To develop your chai tea chops, consider starting with a chai tea powder and a blend of hot milk and water. With a quality spice blend, you can actually create a variety of recipes just by changing up the milk. If you like a bit more sweetness, use rice milk. For those who like a creamier texture, use coconut milk.
The sweetener you choose will also have an impact. If plain sugar dulls your tea, honey can boost the flavor of some of the sharper spices. Start your chai tea sampling just with milk and water before adding sugar. No matter your milk preference, one of the critical preparation points for chai tea is to heat the milk and water slowly. You need it to steep, not boil.
4) Freshly Spiced Chai
Like a good pour-over coffee, making your own chai in a saucepan has its own ritual. This simple chai with whole spices includes fresh ground ginger, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and fennel seeds.
Traditional chai is quite sweet; as you add your chosen sweetener and sample, aim for the sweetness of hot cocoa.
5) Blended Chai Latte
To make a blended chai latte, cook your chosen spices in water alone and heat the milk separately. Bring your spices and water to a rolling boil, add your tea bags or strainer ball to steep for 5 minutes, and heat your milk separately.
Boiled milk can often be burned milk. Keep stirring and consider using an immersion blender to build froth.
6) Homemade Chai Concentrate
Many of us need our caffeine to get moving in the morning. However, if you don’t have the time to grind spices or steep your tea in the morning, you can buy or make a basic concentrate of just spices and brewed tea to store in your refrigerator.
Whether you brew your own or buy it, do make sure to cool and refrigerate your concentrate for no more than 7 days. When you’re ready for a cup, simply warm your milk and add concentrate to the saucepan to warm the beverage.
7) Iced Chai Tea
If you haven’t found a decaf black tea that you like, try it iced. Many of us find that the sharp tannic edge of black tea is muddied in the decaf version. However, if you like an iced tea in the afternoon but can’t handle the caffeine, you may find that the flavor of your decaf brewed chai tea opens up over ice. Be ready to add a bit more sweetener and top it with a bit of whipped cream!
8) Dessert Chai
If you started with flavored chai tea bags but have come up with a recipe that suits you better, put those tea bags to work in chai tea ice cream. This tea will need to steep for up to 45 minutes; you need all the flavor you can get from the bags.
The flavor blend of chai tea works well hot or cold. If you love the zip of ginger and the warmth of cinnamon, you will love chai!
