Should you ask for chai or tea? In very broad and simple terms the difference between tea and chai is that tea is the drink made from loose leaves and enjoyed plain or with a spot of milk, while almost all chais use a strong CTC base which is balanced by the addition of milk and intensified in aroma and flavors by the addition of spices.
What is Chai Tea?
In India, the term ‘chai’ means tea. Since most Indians drink tea boiled with milk and sugar the word has become synonymous with milk tea. There are several variations and the names usually indicate the condiment used with the tea. When ginger is added, it’s Adrak Chai. A ‘masala chai’ is a chai tea with milk and a hint of spices – cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon mostly. Saunf wali chai is the same milk tea flavored with fennel seeds. The main difference between chai and masala tea is the addition of spices. Chai is black tea and hot milk, while Masala tea will combine black tea, milk and a few spices.
With chai growing in popularity, Western tea drinkers have begun referring to milk tea as chai tea or chai latte. Latte is Italian for milk; café latte is a combination of espresso and milk similar to the French grand crème, the German Milchkaffee and the international cappuccino.
A chai latte is, therefore, a combination of tea and milk made by pouring a tea infusion into a glass of hot milk. Chai tea latte recipes use an infusion of black tea with spices like pepper, ginger, cloves, cardamom and star anise. For an Indian though, this recipe sounds very similar to the masala chai but perhaps, slightly unappealing too, as pouring the tea infusion into milk instead of boiling them all together is quite unheard of in these parts.
Meanwhile, with more Indians also choosing to drink more varieties of tea, besides chai, tea now is a broader term. It can refer to either black, green, whiteor even a blend. How it’s steeped and enjoyed is a personal preference – some prefer it with a little milk while others may choose to add lemon or sweeten with honey or sugar. Strong black teas accommodate milk easily while greens and whites are best drunk plain and unsweetened.
What is Chai Tea Good for?
Chai tea is a powerful blend of tea, herbs, and spices that has been cherished for centuries in India as a means of improving health and enhancing peace of mind. Two other important benefits of chai include enhancing the immune system and fighting inflammation.
Chai Tea vs Chai Latte – The difference
For most of you out there wondering if there is a difference between chai tea and chai latte, the answer is yes, there is. Chai tea is a loose-leaf style tea brewed in hot milk, usually with some honey or sugar to sweeten it up. While Chai lattes are often made with either a soluble powder or a syrup imitating a chai flavor. Chai latte is a lot sweeter than chai tea.
Chai Tea vs Green Tea
Although both green teas and chai teas contain tea leaves, the composition of these teas differ from each other. Green tea is made from relatively unprocessed tea leaves that have undergone minimal oxidation whereas chai is most commonly made from the more fermented and oxidized black tea leaves and contain spices such as cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
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FAQs
In very broad and simple terms the difference between tea and chai is that tea is the drink made from loose leaves and enjoyed plain or with a spot of milk, while almost all chais use a strong CTC base which is balanced by the addition of milk and intensified in aroma and flavors by the addition of spices.
Is Chai Tea the same as chai tea? ›
The word “chai” means tea in several languages, meaning chai tea is essentially the same as saying 'tea tea. ' While both chai tea and masala chai are made with black tea, their main difference is the spices used in their preparation.
Does all chai tea taste the same? ›
There are various subtle ways the flavor of chai changes based on the type of tea leaves, sweeteners, milk, and spices used.
Is chai tea the same as black tea vs green tea? ›
The major difference, however, is in the amount of caffeine present. Yes, as much as you adore your favourite masala chai or other chai varieties, they do include more caffeine and stimulants. On the other hand, Green tea has a lower caffeine concentration than black tea, making it a truly healthy beverage.
Is chai tea good for you? ›
Chai tea is a fragrant, spicy tea that may help boost heart health, reduce blood sugar levels, aid digestion and help with weight loss.
Why do people call tea chai tea? ›
The third form chai (meaning "spiced tea") originated from a northern Chinese pronunciation of cha, which travelled overland to Central Asia and Persia where it picked up a Persian ending yi, and entered English via Hindustani in the 20th century.
Is chai tea stronger than coffee? ›
How Does Chai Tea Compare to Coffee? Both tea and coffee are traditional morning drinks with the ability to wake you up. But even a strong cup of chai tea has less caffeine than coffee. A typical cup of black chai tea has around 60 milligrams of caffeine, while eight ounces of coffee has 120.
What is the proper name for chai tea? ›
Masala chai is a milky, sweet, spiced-filled black tea preparation that originated in India but today is enjoyed throughout South Asia and the diaspora. (Masala = spice blend in Hindi and chai = tea.)
Does chai tea have caffeine? ›
One cup of chai from the powdered form has 25 to 55mg of caffeine while in the concentrate, it's more likely to be 30 to 35mg. Compare that to roughly 120mg in your average cup of coffee and it's obvious that if you want to be a lively bag of beans, you'll probably want to stick to those, well, coffee beans.
Is Starbucks chai tea actually tea? ›
The Starbucks Chai Experience
The Chai Tea Latte on the menu stands out with its combination of spiced black tea and frothy milk, reminiscent of the beloved chai tradition in South Asia.
Chai is traditionally brewed with milk in India but that's the great thing about Real Chai, you can brew it the way YOU like it. It contains only spices and tea, so if you prefer not to use milk simply leave it out for a delicious black tea version. I personally love to use Soy Milk in my chai over dairy milk.
Do you drink chai tea hot or cold? ›
Simply delicious either hot or iced! This will save you more money than buying the chai. In India, each family has their own way of making it, so you should experiment to find your favorite blend.
What is the difference between chai tea and spiced chai tea? ›
A 'masala chai' is a chai tea with milk and a hint of spices – cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon mostly. Saunf wali chai is the same milk tea flavored with fennel seeds. The main difference between chai and masala tea is the addition of spices.
Which tea is healthier black tea or green tea? ›
Both green and black tea come from the same plant. But because of how they are processed, green tea typically contains less caffeine than black tea. Green tea is thought to be healthier than black tea because it has a higher number of beneficial compounds. But both teas have been linked to health benefits.
Is chai tea just black tea? ›
Chai is a mixture of black tea with spices, specifically cardamom, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, nutmeg, star anise, ginger and/or fennel. This is the traditional Indian preparation known properly as "masala chai." It is first brewed as a strong tea, then mixed with equal parts milk.
Does chai tea translate to tea tea? ›
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." What we think of in America as this highly specialized beverage is, in India, simply the standard way of preparing tea.
Is Starbucks chai the same as Indian chai? ›
While the Starbucks version may capture some of the aromatic essence of chai, it does not provide the complexity and depth of flavor found in traditional chai. The use of a standardized concentrate overlooks the variations in spice blends and preparation methods that contribute to the richness of authentic chai.
Why you don't say chai tea? ›
So saying "chai tea" is pretty redundant. It actually just means "tea... tea". It (kinda?) made sense at the time, it was a way of explaining this drink to a new audience, building the English translation directly into the name.
