Masala chai

{{Main|Etymology of tea}}

Tea was introduced to India by the British as a popular beverage. Tea plants have grown wild in the Assam region since antiquity, but historically, Indians viewed tea as a herbal medicine rather than as a recreational beverage.Rosen, Diana. Chai: the Spice Tea of India. Pownal, Vermont: Storey, 1999.

In the 1830s, the British East India Company became concerned about the Chinese monopoly on tea, which constituted most of its trade and supported the enormous consumption of tea in Great Britain around {{convert|1|lb|kg}} per person per year. British colonists had recently noticed the existence of the Assamese tea plants, and began to cultivate tea plantations locally. In 1870, over 90% of the tea consumed in Great Britain was still of Chinese origin, but by 1900, this had dropped to 10%, largely replaced by tea grown in India (50%) and Ceylon (33%).{{Cite book|title=Caffeine, the most popular stimulant|page=[https://archive.org/details/caffeinemostpopu00gilbrich/page/24 24]|last=M.|first=Gilbert, Richard|date=1986|publisher=Chelsea House Publishers|isbn=9780877547563|location=New York|oclc=12970317|url=https://archive.org/details/caffeinemostpopu00gilbrich/page/24}}

However, consumption of black tea within India remained low until the promotional campaign by the Indian Tea Association in the early 20th century, which encouraged factories, mines, and textile mills to provide tea breaks for their workers. It also supported many independent chaiwalas throughout the growing railway system.{{cite web |last1=Chatterjee |first1=Arup K. |title=How chai arrived in India 170 years ago |url=https://www.thehindu.com/society/how-chai-arrived-in-india-170-years-ago/article24724665.ece |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |date=18 August 2018}}

Tea was promoted as served Indian style, with small added amounts of milk and sugar. The Indian Tea Association initially disapproved of independent vendors' tendency to add spices and greatly increase the proportions of milk and sugar, thus reducing their usage (and thus purchase) of tea leaves per liquid volume. However, chai later firmly established itself as a popular beverage.Collingham, Lizzie. (2006). "Chai: The Great Tea Campaign". In Curry: A Tale of Cooks & Conquerors, pp 187-214. New York: Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-517241-8}}.

File:Chai-Kwon-Do.jpg

File:teamaking.JPG preparing masala chai: As it is prepared by decoction, preparation usually includes straining tea from the solids.]]

Masala chai is composed of three major components: masala, chai (or tea), and milk. Recipes and preparation of chai can vary by geography and by family.

One way to prepare masala chai is by simmering spices in a pot of water. Tea is then added to the pot and brewed to preference. After brewing, the tea and spice mixture is strained and milk or cream added.{{Cite web |date=11 October 2022 |title=The Spicy History of Chai and How to Make It |url=https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/chai.htm |access-date=22 April 2024 |website=HowStuffWorks |language=en-us}}

A common Maharashtrian practice for preparation of one cup of chai is to first combine one-half cup of water with one-half cup of milk in a pot over heat. Sugar may be added at this point or after. Ginger is then grated into the mixture followed by adding a "tea masala" typically consisting of crushed ginger, crushed cardamom, lemongrass, cloves, and cinnamon. The mixture is brought to a boil and 1 teaspoon of loose black tea is added.{{Cite web |title=Recipe for 5 Spice Tea |url=https://www.tealiciousbeverages.com/5spicetea |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518125808/https://www.tealiciousbeverages.com/5spicetea |archive-date=18 May 2019 |access-date=18 May 2019 |website=Tealicious |language=en}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |fix-attempted=yes |url=}}

Black tea is typically used as a base in most chai recipes.{{Cite web |last=Jha |first=Gaurav |date=29 July 2024 |title=Create Your Own Chai: Quick and Easy Masala Chai Recipe |url=https://www.thepahadistory.com/blogs/health/create-your-own-chai-quick-and-easy-masala-chai-recipe |access-date=16 January 2025 |website=The Pahadi Story}} The most common type of black tea is from Assam; however, a blend of different tea variations may be used.{{Cite web |title=What Is Chai and How to Make It |url=https://www.foodandwine.com/tea/chai-tea/what-is-chai-how-to-make-chai |access-date=10 October 2022 |website=Food & Wine}} Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri are the three most common types of tea used in chai in India.{{Cite web |title=Masala Chai Tea - History & How to Make It |url=https://www.tealeaves.com/pages/indian-masala-chai-tea-traditions |access-date=31 October 2022 |website=TEALEAVES}}

File:Contents of a bag of chai tea.jpg

The spices used in masala chai most often include cardamom, grated ginger, and cinnamon.{{Cite web |title=Masala Tea |url=http://www.teaboard.gov.in/TEABOARDCSM/MTE= |access-date=18 May 2019 |website=www.teaboard.gov.in}} Also used are cloves, star anise, black peppercorns, mint, lemongrass, and more.{{Cite web |date=11 October 2022 |title=The Spicy History of Chai and How to Make It |url=https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/chai.htm |access-date=19 May 2024 |website=HowStuffWorks |language=en-us}}

Masala chai in western India often excludes cloves and black peppercorns. A small amount of salt is often added to chai in the region of Bhopal.{{Cite web |title=History of Masala Chai: A Quick Dive Into The Origins of India's Favourite Drink |url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/history-of-masala-chai-a-quick-dive-into-the-origins-of-indias-favourite-drink-1683279 |access-date=24 February 2023 |website=NDTV Food |language=en}} The Kashmiri version of chai is brewed with green tea instead of black tea and has a more subtle blend of spices with a pinch of salt. This version is a bit savoury and is pink in colour, due to the addition of baking soda.{{Cite web |last=Subramanian |first=Sribala |date=29 January 2020 |title=The Art and Science of Kashmir's Pink Tea |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/kashmir-pink-tea |access-date=24 February 2023 |website=Atlas Obscura |language=en}}

Traditionally in India, milk from water buffaloes is used to make chai.{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-l9GbAemUAEC&pg=PA40 |title=The New Tea Book: A Guide to Black, Green, Herbal and Chai Teas |author=Sara Perry |publisher=Chronicle Books |date= 1 August 2001 |page=40|isbn=9780811830539 }}Outside of India, such as in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, or other European, countries whole-fat cow's milk is usually used. Powdered milk will somewhat more resemble water buffalo milk. Generally, the main part of masala chai is the masalas like Tulsi, Mulethi, Aswagandha, Tezpatta and other useful ingredients.[https://myoneindiagreatindia.blogspot.com/2020/06/masala-chai.html] Although whole milk is usually used in masala chai, some people prefer alternatives such as soy milk or skimmed milk.{{Cite web |title=Did You Know Chai Tea Is Thousands of Years Old? |url=https://www.thespruceeats.com/the-history-of-masala-chai-tea-765836 |access-date=24 February 2023 |website=The Spruce Eats |language=en}}

White sugar, brown sugar, demerara sugar, honey, and jaggery are all used as sweeteners in chai.{{Cite web |title=What is Chai Tea? |url=https://www.teatulia.com/tea-varieties/what-is-chai.htm#:~:text=Sweetener:%20White%20sugar,%20brown%20sugar,often%20made%20with%20buffalo%20milk. |access-date=12 March 2023 |website=www.teatulia.com}}

File:A Kolkata voter - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg, with a chaidaani for carrying nine glasses of chai – plain tea without masala]]

Small vendors (called chaiwalla in Hindi/cha-ola in Bengali) are found by the side of every highway, road and alley – often the only establishments that will be open through the night. They generally also sell tobacco and snacks. Many will deliver tea to people's places of business in a {{transliteration|hi|chaidaan}}, a wooden or metal frame carrier for cups.{{Cite web |last=Nandan |first=Jahnvi Lakhota |date=20 July 2018 |title=10 objects that define Indian design |url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/india-design-objects/index.html |website=CNN Style}} Chai is sometimes served in a kulhar.{{Cite news |title=Is Chai served in kulhad healthier? |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/is-chai-served-in-kulhad-healthier/photostory/92651457.cms?from=mdr |access-date=13 December 2023 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}

In Mumbai, roadside tea stalls serve small, inexpensive cups of tea called 'cutting chai'. They're so called for being a full-size, full-price cup of tea "cut" in half.{{Cite web |title=Cutting Chai: Why Mumbai Loves a 'Half Cup' of Tea |url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/cutting-chai-why-mumbai-loves-a-half-cup-of-tea-1745884 |access-date=5 July 2023 |website=NDTV Food |language=en}}

In Pakistan, masala chai is usually brewed with milk and sweetened with spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and/or cloves.{{cite book|title=Pakistan: The People|author=Carolyn Black|year=2003|page=28}}

File:Soy Vanilla Chai Latte at G.S.T. Bean.jpg vanilla chai latte served in Berlin, Germany]]

Masala chai is popular in East Africa and the Caribbean.{{Cite journal|title = Africa's oesophageal cancer corridor: Do hot beverages contribute?|journal = Cancer Causes & Control|date = 6 August 2015|issn = 0957-5243|pages = 1477–1486|volume = 26|issue = 10|doi = 10.1007/s10552-015-0646-9|pmid = 26245249|first1 = Michael Oresto|last1 = Munishi|first2 = Rachel|last2 = Hanisch|first3 = Oscar|last3 = Mapunda|first4 = Theonest|last4 = Ndyetabura|first5 = Arnold|last5 = Ndaro|first6 = Joachim|last6 = Schüz|first7 = Gibson|last7 = Kibiki|first8 = Valerie|last8 = McCormack|pmc = 4838015}}{{Cite book|title = Lonely Planet East Africa|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dspRFoxXcDEC|publisher = Lonely Planet|date = 1 June 2012|isbn = 9781743213124|first1 = Lonely|last1 = Planet|first2 = Mary|last2 = Fitzpatrick|first3 = Anthony|last3 = Ham|first4 = Trent|last4 = Holden|first5 = Dean|last5 = Starnes}} It is also popular in the Gulf Arab region, where it is known as Chai Karak ({{Langx|ar|شاي كرك}}, {{Langx|ur|کڑک چائے}}).{{Cite journal|date=28 September 2011|title=Chai Karak: The Popular Drink That's Rapidly Spreading in the Gulf|url=https://khaleejesque.me/2011/09/diwan/chai-karak-the-popular-drink-thats-rapidly-spreading-in-the-gulf/|journal=Khaleejisque}}

Since Starbucks introduced their "chai tea latte" in 1999, chai beverages have become popular at coffee shops across the United States, often made from a syrup or concentrate.{{Cite web |last=Selvam |first=Ashok |date=2023-11-10 |title=More Masala, Less Latte |url=https://chicago.eater.com/2023/11/10/23945800/masala-chai-america-diwali-south-asia-tea-evolution-vendor-cardoz-spiderverse-taylor-swift-starbucks |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Eater Chicago |language=en}} Chai with added espresso is commonly called a "{{vanchor|dirty chai}}".

{{Cite news |title=What Is Dirty Chai? |url=https://www.thespruceeats.com/dirty-chai-definition-765697 |access-date=2 June 2025 |work=The Spruce}}{{Cite book |last=Travis. |first=Arndorfer |title=The complete idiot's guide to coffee and tea |date=2006 |publisher=Alpha Books |others=Hansen, Kristine. |isbn=9781440626012 |location=New York |page=120 |oclc=489450263}}

File:Gulab Ji Chaiwala (Jaipur) - img 03.jpg, Rajasthan, India]]

{{portal|India|Drink}}

• Indian cuisine
• History of tea in India
• Indian tea culture
• Pakistani tea culture
• Chaiwala
• Kulhar
• Darjeeling tea
• Ginger tea
• Noon chai
• Bandrek
• List of Indian drinks

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Chai}}

• [http://www.worldteanews.com/news/global-evolution-chai The Global Evolution of Chai] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180604200541/http://worldteanews.com/news/global-evolution-chai |date=4 June 2018 }}

{{Cuisine of India}}

{{Indian dishes}}

{{India topics}}

{{Teas}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Masala Chai}}

Category:Indian tea

Category:Indian cuisine

Category:Hindu cuisine

Category:South Asian cuisine

Category:Vegetarian cuisine

Category:Vegetarian dishes of India

Category:Arabic drinks

Category:Bengali cuisine

Category:Blended tea

Category:Nepalese tea

Category:Sri Lankan drinks

Category:Tea culture

Category:Milk tea

Category:Indo-Caribbean cuisine