Chai Latte: The Popular Spiced Tea Drink
Anyone who has not only placed their usual order in a modern coffee shop in recent years, but also taken the time to study the cafe's menu, will certainly have noticed the drink "Chai Latte". This trendy drink, which Hollywood stars swear by, has become an integral part of coffee house culture, especially on dreary autumn or cold winter days. Where does this aromatic drink come from and why is the hype about it? How do I prepare it at home and is it even good for my health to try it? We're getting closer to the Chai Latte phenomenon!
What exactly is chai latte?
The word “Chai” is used to refer to tea drinks in many parts of the world. Anyone who orders a "Chai" in Russia, Turkey or Asian countries will be served black tea. The Dutch brought tea leaves from their colonies to Europe and coined the term "tea" there. In the Indian-speaking world, however, Chai is more accurately referred to as “Masala Chai”. Masala stands for a spice mixture that is added to black tea, similar to spice mixtures for cooking and seasoning chili.
Masala Chai is a kind of national drink in India. You can buy it on every street corner and most families have a secret family recipe for their special masala chai. Black tea is usually mixed with cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, cloves or anise. Unlike ours, the tea is boiled in a saucepan with the spices and then refined with honey and milk.
Is chai with spices healthy?
We have already discussed in more detail whether coffee is healthy or unhealthy in a video with Professor Yeretzian. But the question also arises for black tea and masala chai: “Does drinking this drink have any health benefits?”
It depends on what spices your chai contains and how you prepare it. However, many of the spices mentioned above clearly have a positive effect on our body:
- Black tea: The caffeine in black tea invigorates us. It makes us mentally more alert and physically more productive.
- Cardamom: Has a calming effect on our digestion and can help against colds.
- Cinnamon: Stimulates blood circulation and lifts your mood!
- Ginger: Considered a superfood. It strengthens our immune system, has an antibacterial effect and stimulates our appetite.
- Anise and fennel: Soothe the stomach and can have an antispasmodic effect.
- Cloves: Can have anti-inflammatory effects and are a source of antioxidants.
So there are definitely good reasons to try a chai with spices. However, the health effect varies depending on the method of preparation. The fresher you prepare the drink, the more health-promoting ingredients it contains. But more on that later.
Where does the hype come from?
Even though we know that Chai Latte is good for our mood and our health, the question still arises as to why this drink has experienced such hype.
In the 1990s, coffee chain giant Starbucks added the drink to its repertoire. In addition, some TV stars and celebrities promoted the drink and raved about it publicly. Since general interest in Far Eastern culture, philosophy and spirituality seems to have exploded in recent decades, the Chai Latte hits exactly this growing target group. Anyone who enjoys yoga, Ayurvedic nutrition and meditation will also be attracted to the Chai Latte. Many people grab the trendy drink in coffee shops, especially in the cold months and at Christmas time.
The preparation
There are three different ways to make a chai latte. If you make it yourself at home, you can either put together your own spice mix, use a ready-made chai tea mix or work with instant powder or syrup.
Make your own chai tea
This method of preparation is by far the most complex and you should take a little time to create your own chai latte. You need:
- 1 tbsp black tea (Assam, Darjeeling or Earl Grey, depending on your taste)
- 2 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp cardamom
- about 1 cm fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons honey, alternatively brown sugar or another sweetener
- 250 ml water
- 250 ml whole milk or a milk alternative
First, briefly roast the spices in a pan. This way you activate the essential oils in the spices and get even more aroma out of them. Pour the hot water over them in the pan and let the spice mixture steep for a few minutes. Then add the honey and your black tea. It's best to measure the time now and let the tea steep for about 4 minutes. The water should be around 90°C at this time, so it should no longer be boiling. Then pour the mixture through a sieve to finish the tea steeping time. Using an espresso steam wand or on the stove, you then heat the milk and froth it. Finally, half fill a large cup or glass with your tea and pour the frothed milk over it.
Ready-made chai tea blends
If you don't have a fully stocked spice cabinet and don't want to buy all the spices, you can also use ready-made chai tea mixtures. In almost every supermarket and especially on the Internet there is a wide selection of different ready-made chai tea blends. There are both loose tea and ready-made tea bags, organic or non-organic. You then have the choice between “Chai Black Tea”, “Choco Chai”, “Sweet Chai” or even “Pumpkin Chai” with dried pumpkin. There is a really large selection and it is worth looking at the description or the back of the pack when searching. Here you can see the exact composition of the finished mixture. Although the spices are not freshly roasted before preparation, these ready-made mixtures are definitely a good way to get started.
The preparation is then incredibly easy. Pour hot, but no longer boiling, water over the finished tea mixture. Let it steep for a few minutes according to the package instructions. Then add the desired amount of foamed milk to the tea and your feel-good drink is ready!
Instant powder
If you want things to be very simple and uncomplicated, the market offers a lot of instant alternatives to freshly brewed tea. There are ready-made powders that are mixed with milk powder and only need to be poured over with hot water. However, the texture and mouthfeel of these drinks are nowhere near as creamy and velvety as freshly steamed milk. That's why there are instant powders without milk powder that you pour hot water over and then top with freshly foamed milk.
Without a doubt, instant powders are an incredible relief, but they also influence our drinking behavior. If you want to take the time and leisure to prepare your chai latte, you will certainly also plan time and care for the preparation of your tea. It is not for nothing that there is a centuries-old tradition of tea ceremonies in Asian countries, which ensures that the pleasant drink has a permanent place in everyday life. This break and time for enjoyment is certainly diminished by the idea of an instant powder that promises chai tea in 30 seconds.
The positive health aspects of Masala Chai described above are no longer as pronounced with instant powders. The fresh spices have previously been processed into powder in complex processes and lose a lot of their essential oils and aromatics. Biting into a fresh apple is different than chewing apple-flavored gum. Artificial flavors are even added to low-quality instant teas.
For your first encounter with the chai latte, we recommend the first two variants or a visit to your trusted café.
Chai latte in coffee shops
You can order a chai latte in most coffee shops and also in our coffee maker cafés. Logically, the barista in a café cannot take the peace and leisure that you can take at home to prepare the chai latte. After all, it would be strange if you ordered a chai latte and only had your drink in your hands after half an hour because the barista would first have to weigh out the spices, roast them, pour them over, strain them and mix them.
In many coffee shops, the barista therefore uses a syrup solution. These syrups, either prepared by yourself or offered by companies, make the process in the café much easier and still offer an aromatic taste experience.
The barista only has to put a few pumps of syrup into a glass and froth the milk with the steam wand, and the guest receives an aromatic drink with a nice mouthfeel without having to wait long for it.
Another advantage is that the easy-to-use syrup invites you to experiment. The syrup also dissolves in cold milk. So why not an iced chai latte? A combination with a well-made espresso is also possible. For this so-called dirty chai latte, a few shots of syrup are added to a single or double espresso and topped with foamed milk. Certainly worth a try.
Even though this coffee shop solution looks different than a Japanese tea ceremony lasting several hours, this practice has proven itself in many cafes and is a modern development of India's national drink for a growing chai tea fan base.
