"Chai" simply means tea in Hindi. I encourage any of you who have not tried tea brewed in the Indian way, to try it. I have given my tea to American friends and the reaction is rarely short of "wow".
To make it, start with an Indian labeled tea. Most tea is from India, but the Indian brands are usually much better than domestic American brands. India's Lipton (different from other Lipton) comes in green label, yellow label and red label.
The green label is Darjeeling tea. The yellow label is high-quality black tea. The red label is more common tea, also black. I usually use yellow label. There is also Taj Mahal brand, a high-quality black tea. This recipe is also definitely worth it with other brands of black tea.
For any of these teas, steep a slightly heaped tsp of tea for each 8 oz hot water, for 4 minutes, with spices if desired (explained below). Have hot milk ready. When done brewing, strain and add a few tablespoons hot milk and about 2-3 tsp sugar per cup and stir. This is strong tea compared to most, and also pretty sweet.
Darjeeling tea is usually spiced little, if at all, since it's very fragrant and more delicate. The spices in black tea are partly what make tea into Indian "chai". I prefer just green cardamom (1 split pod per cup) and some fresh ginger, maybe 1/4 inch slice per cup. Stick cinnamon and other spices are also used a lot. There are a lot of traditional ways to spice it up, but this is the basic recipe for "chai". Strong, sweet and milky, and usually spiced.
To make it, start with an Indian labeled tea. Most tea is from India, but the Indian brands are usually much better than domestic American brands. India's Lipton (different from other Lipton) comes in green label, yellow label and red label.
The green label is Darjeeling tea. The yellow label is high-quality black tea. The red label is more common tea, also black. I usually use yellow label. There is also Taj Mahal brand, a high-quality black tea. This recipe is also definitely worth it with other brands of black tea.
For any of these teas, steep a slightly heaped tsp of tea for each 8 oz hot water, for 4 minutes, with spices if desired (explained below). Have hot milk ready. When done brewing, strain and add a few tablespoons hot milk and about 2-3 tsp sugar per cup and stir. This is strong tea compared to most, and also pretty sweet.
Darjeeling tea is usually spiced little, if at all, since it's very fragrant and more delicate. The spices in black tea are partly what make tea into Indian "chai". I prefer just green cardamom (1 split pod per cup) and some fresh ginger, maybe 1/4 inch slice per cup. Stick cinnamon and other spices are also used a lot. There are a lot of traditional ways to spice it up, but this is the basic recipe for "chai". Strong, sweet and milky, and usually spiced.
