Browse Chai / Spiced Tea (190)
Read Reviews (234)
Brands of Chai / Spiced Tea

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

70 / 100

A mellow pumpkin spice tea, featuring the spices one would expect (e.g. ginger, cinnamon, clove, etc.) I tasted vanilla in the mix, but it does not contain vanilla. Maybe that was coming from sunflower petals or natural flavorings. I am glad they did not overdo the clove or allspice or nutmeg, that is a mistake that...

Read Full Review
70 / 100

Indian Chai from TeaGschwendner

Style: Chai / Spiced Tea – Region: Blend
Oct. 17th, 2022

One-litre pot at home, made from a mixture of black tea leaves, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, ginger, and cardamom, all organic. Pours slightly hazy dark brown (against white china) with no sediment. Clear aroma of black tea leaves and cinnamon, with notes of ginger and touches of pepper. Bitter, leafy flavour with notes o...

Read Full Review
37 / 100
Picture of Chai Masala

I first tried this tea on vacation, at a breakfast cafe in Stowe, VT, that was way overpriced for what's offered. That's a description fitting pretty much everything in the area except for the fabulous Piecasso Pizza and any of the Trapp Family's Austrian desserts. That I naively paid about three bucks for a small cu...

Read Full Review
35 / 100
Picture of Spiced Apple Chai

Spiced Apple Chai from Twinings

Style: Chai / Spiced Tea – Region: Blend
Aug. 4th, 2022

This tea is all about the added flavors. The dry tea smells strongly of green apple peels. Adding hot water brings out a bit of spice, predominantly cinnamon.

I don't taste or smell any tea. The flavor is mostly cinnamon with a bit of ginger heat and some apple in the background and tastes like those powdered hot ci...

Read Full Review
90 / 100

Chai Walla from SerendipiTea

Style: Chai / Spiced Tea – Region: India
May. 13th, 2022

Like a lot of SerendipiTea's products, this is both organic and kosher. The recipe is straightforward: black tea, ginger, cinnamon, anise, cloves, and cinnamon. Prepared the traditional way (which I learned how to do during a visit to India), this makes a well-balanced, flavorful, and pleasantly sweet and spicy chai. ...

Read Full Review

Read More Reviews of Chai / Spiced Tea (234) ...

Top Reviewers

RankUser#%
1Reviewer icon Alex Zorach3116
2Reviewer icon Sylvia2111
3Reviewer icon Brytta Sóþword179
4Reviewer icon Tchuggin' Okie179
5Reviewer icon Amanda 137

Review 14 teas to get on this list!

Advertisement

Most-Rated Chai / Spiced Tea

No image of this tea

Chai Spice Black Tea

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

Mtn High Chai

Brand:Two Leaves and a Bud
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:Assam, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Sachet
33
10 Ratings
No image of this tea

Chai Classic (Formerly Organic Tazo Chai)

Brand:Tazo Tea
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:Assam, India
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
30
9 Ratings
No image of this tea

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

No image of this tea

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
Picture of Masala Chai Black Tea

Masala Chai Black Tea

Brand:Arbor Teas
Style:Chai / Spiced Tea
Region:Blend
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
81
4 Ratings

Varieties, Kinds, or Types of Chai / Spiced Tea

Browse All Chai / Spiced Tea (190)Brands of Chai / Spiced Tea

FacebookTwitterInstagramTumblrPatreon