Masala chai

Lore & Background

The word for tea in most Indian languages is 'chai', derived from the Chinese word cha. Tea became a popular beverage introduced to India by the British.

Tea plants have grown wild in the Assam region since antiquity, but historically, Indians viewed tea as an herbal medicine rather than as a recreational beverage. In the 1830s, the British East India Company became concerned about the Chinese monopoly on tea, which constituted most of their trade and supported the enormous consumption of tea in Great Britain. British colonists noticed the existence of Assamese tea plants and began to cultivate tea plantations locally.

Reader's Guide

Masala chai is composed of three major components: masala (spices), chai (tea), and milk. Recipes and methods of preparation vary by geography and family. A common Maharashtrian method involves combining water and milk, adding sugar, ginger, and tea masala (crushed ginger, cardamom, lemongrass, cloves, cinnamon), bringing to a boil, and adding loose black tea. Black tea from Assam is most common, but Darjeeling and Nilgiri teas are also used.

Spices often include cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, black peppercorns, mint, and lemongrass. In western India, cloves and black peppercorns are often excluded. The Kashmiri version uses green tea and baking soda, giving it a pink color. Traditionally, milk from water buffaloes is used.

Sweeteners include white sugar, brown sugar, honey, and jaggery. Small vendors called chaiwalla are found throughout the Indian subcontinent, often open through the night. In Mumbai, roadside stalls serve 'cutting chai', a half-size cup. Masala chai is popular in East Africa, the Caribbean, and the Gulf Arab region, where it is known as Chai Karak.