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Chai / Spiced Tea

Wikipedia: Masala_chai | Teaviews: chai-tea 
Last Updated: Jul. 29, 2015 

About Chai / Spiced Tea

Cup of tea with milk, in purple cup on purple saucer, on a glass table with wooden frame, with brown tile floor underneathChai (Cup of Masala Chai, Spiced Tea with Milk), Photo © innacoz (Flickr), CC BY-ND 2.0.
Chai, properly called masala chai, is Hindi for "spiced tea". The word "chai" just means tea, so terms like chai tea, although in widespread use, are redundant. A more accurate term is spiced chai.

Masala chai is a drink made by brewing tea, usually black tea, together with spices. Often, but not always, milk and sweetener, such as honey or sugar, are added. Sometimes condensed milk is used. If the milk is steamed, as with an espresso machine, the result is called a "chai tea latte".

Typically, masala chai is mixed up at the time of brewing, adding spices to taste, although, especially in the U.S., it is also sold pre-blended in teabags. A few companies sell green or herbal teas in a similar style to masala chai.

RateTea lists all pre-blended masala chai mixtures in this category. However, you can make your own spiced chai by blending spices with tea. For a classic flavor, try starting with an Indian black tea such as Assam.

Spices used in masala chai

Blend of black tea leaves with green cardamom pods, cloves, and some other dried chunks of spicesThis masala chai has a typical blend of cardamom, clove, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper.
Traditional Indian masala chai is diverse and varies regionally and based on personal taste. Spices most commonly used include cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, peppercorn, and cloves. Other spices, herbs, and flavorings, such as nutmeg, rose, liquorice, vanilla, or mint are occasionally used.

When only one spice is used, the resulting blend is usually named with the spice itself, such as cinnamon black tea or tea with cardamom: the term "chai" is usually reserved for blends including multiple spices. Black tea blended with cardamom, or "cardamom tea" is widely consumed in the Middle east.

Recent Chai / Spiced Tea Reviews — RSS rss icon

88 / 100
Picture of Vanilla Spice

Vanilla Spice from Murchie's Tea & Coffee Ltd

Style: Vanilla Chai – Region: Blend
Dec. 28th, 2023

Looking over the large ingredients list for a loose tea (Keemun and Ceylon tea, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, cocoa nibs, cardamom seeds, roasted carob, Indian sarsparilla root, natural and artificial flavors), it seemed a little disjointed. I wasn't sure this was going to work. I'll assure that it does, very nicely.
...

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60 / 100
Picture of Mélange de Chamonix

Mélange de Chamonix from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Chai / Spiced Tea – Region: Blend
Nov. 19th, 2023

This seems like it was named for the ski resort in the French alps, and I could see brewing a pot of this after a day on the ski slopes. I have had if in the past and liked it, but this batch I am rating in 2023 is not up to their standard imo. The flavors seem weak and the overall experience is a little watery. It i...

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88 / 100
Picture of Chai Tea

Chai Tea from Teapigs

Style: Chai / Spiced Tea – Region: Blend
Aug. 1st, 2023

I bought this 15-sachet sack for a couple bucks less, at the same suburban Dallas H-E-B store as Chai Diaries' 15-sachet can of Bombay Masala Chai. Teapigs' chai, while still somewhat expensive, is *far* better, each pyramid sachet holding about twice as much content, filling it up when wet, with noticeably higher qua...

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77 / 100
Picture of Cinnamon Stick® Black Tea

Cinnamon Stick® Black Tea from Bigelow Tea

Style: Chai / Spiced Tea – Region: Blend
May. 27th, 2023

Somehow, this Bigelow offering escaped me for many years, but it finally emerged from hiding and surrendered to my tea-greedy clutches at a Denver-area hotel—and only then, because striking a huge deer at full speed east of town totaled my vehicle. After that ordeal, and stuck at the hotel amid 30 hours of cold rain...

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40 / 100
Picture of Masala Chai Black Tea

Masala Chai Black Tea from Arbor Teas

Style: Chai / Spiced Tea – Region: Blend
Apr. 25th, 2023

I do like that fact that real masala chai blends are now available in the USA, since it is a style that I enjoy, but this is not a favorite. The gingerbread aroma is nice, but there is too much hot pepper in this for my palate, and not enough cardomom and cinnamon. You might like it if you enjoy lots of black pepper i...

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4Reviewer icon Brytta Sóþword179
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Review 14 teas to get on this list!

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Most-Rated Chai / Spiced Tea

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Chai Spice Black Tea

Brand:Stash Tea
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:?????
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
31
10 Ratings
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Mtn High Chai

Brand:Two Leaves and a Bud
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:Assam, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Sachet
33
10 Ratings
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Chai Classic (Formerly Organic Tazo Chai)

Brand:Tazo Tea
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:Assam, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
30
9 Ratings
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Chai (formerly Indian Spiced Chai)

Brand:Twinings
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:?????
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
4
8 Ratings
Picture of Golden Chai™ - Spiced Assam Black Tea

Golden Chai™ - Spiced Assam Black Tea

Brand:Numi Organic Tea
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:Assam, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
39
7 Ratings

Top-Rated Chai / Spiced Tea

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Masala Chai

Brand:Rishi Tea
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:Blend
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
98
4 Ratings
No image of this tea

Spiced Chai

Brand:Trader Joe's
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:?????
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
92
3 Ratings
Picture of Thai Chai

Thai Chai

Brand:Adagio Teas
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:?????
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
92
3 Ratings
Picture of Organic Masala Chai Black Tea

Organic Masala Chai Black Tea

Brand:Wegmans
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
85
4 Ratings
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Maharaja Chai Oolong Tea

Brand:Teavana
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:Blend
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
80
3 Ratings

Varieties, Kinds, or Types of Chai / Spiced Tea

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