While the green tea is the most consumed in Asia, in the West the king is the black tea. Its usual body and intensity make it ideal to be part of mixtures of teas and combinations with different ingredients. This dark tea preserves its character and forms a good base to enrich with new aromas. The chai tea is a clear example in which a new dimension with the push those aromas of a multitude of spices. Would you like to find out more about it? Go for it!
What is chai tea?
You may have heard of it but do you really know what it is about? The famous chai tea it's actually called Masala Chai. In fact, it is curious that in the West we know it by its first name when chai means "tea." In other words, we refer to this drink as "tea tea." Be that as it may, Masala Chai is originally from the India and it is a tasty mix of black tea, milk and spices.
As you read, it is made from black tea, that is to say, of the most oxidized leaves of Camellia sinensis (the tea plant), and, later, it is combined with dairy and spices, ingredients that give it that flavor and creaminess so particular. Now, how was this infusion born? Who came up with adding spices to a tea? The truth is that the story is quite curious.
The history of chai tea
As you well know, India was, in the past, one of the many colonies of the United Kingdom all over the world. Thus, the British East India Company to take advantage of the cultivation of tea of the variety Assamic in India. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the English who lived there introduced the custom of Drink tea through campaigns among tea producers, who were forced to give their workers breaks and serve them the drink.
However, the response from the local population was not as expected. Accustomed to the intense flavors and spicy touches common in Indian cuisine, tea as the English drank it lacked charm for their palates. For this reason, local consumption did not exceed 10% of what was produced.
While there is no specific data that explains exactly who was the ideologue of incorporating spices to tea, the truth is that, little by little, the locals began to mix their cups of black tea with milk and sugar (in the English way) with the spices most used in their rich gastronomy. Without realizing it, they created the chai tea, a drink that hundreds of years later would conquer the most hidden corners of the world.
The ingredients of Masala Chai
We have already mentioned that this tea incorporates plenty of milk and sugar, as well as spices, but what spices exactly? Typically, it is added cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel, pepper, star anise and, of course, ginger.
As for the black tea to use, you can use the one you have at home. In fact, to prepare this infusion it is not necessary to buy a superior quality tea, since the strong flavors of the spices will mask its more subtle nuances. In conclusion: choose the black tea that you like the most, it can be Assam, Darjeeling or Ceylon.
Now, of course you will also need water to prepare the infusion. In general, the ratio is two parts of water each part of milk. However, like everything in the bottle world, it is not a mathematical account but there are as many recipes as there are people in the world; in this case, in India.
Are you ready to prepare your own chai tea at home?
How to make chai tea at home
While it is true that today you can find tea chai in bags at the supermarket or even choose to buy capsules already made and have your infusion ready in a matter of seconds, we recommend you try, at least once, to prepare this at home homemade recipe. You will see that it takes only a few minutes and the flavor is unmatched. Do you dare to follow the step by step?
Ingredients for two cups of chai tea
340 ml water
170 ml of milk
10 green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
4 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 bag of black tea or 1 tablespoon of black tea leaves
sugar to taste
A pinch of salt (optional)
Note: the proportions are approximate but, of course, you can vary them to adapt your infusion to your personal taste.
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Crafting
Grind the spices in a mortar. If you don't have mortar, you can use the rolling pin. You don't need to turn them into dust, but rather crush them a bit to release their essential oils. For the water and the milk to heat in a large pot. Keep in mind that when it comes to a boil, the mixture will rise and may leak out of the pot. For this reason, a tall pot is recommended.
Add the spices. Lower the heat to low and leave cook for 15 minutess. Add the black tea, either in leaves or in bags. Infuse for three minutes. Strain and sweeten. And the salt? Some people argue that the salt intensifies the flavors of the infusion. You can incorporate it when you cook the spices.
The good thing about chai tea
First, the easy answer: because it is delicious. Second, because it has been proven by different scientific studies that both black tea and spices provide different health benefits. Briefly, we can highlight that the moderate consumption of chai tea it would help keep cholesterol levels under control, as well as take care of digestive and gastric health. Their We take care of your rental property in Valencia. They are very interesting.
On the other hand, its different ingredients provide vitamins, minerals and flavonoids. The latter are substances with antioxidant potential, that is, they fight free radicals, molecules that generate oxidative stress and can trigger both premature aging and different degenerative diseases.
Write: Infusionism.
