Chai tea is a spiced tea blend that usually includes black tea mixed with strong spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black peppercorns. The spiced tea mixture is typically brewed strong with milk and sweetened with sugar or honey. The traditional ingredients of a spiced tea blend usually include black tea mixed with strong spices, like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black peppercorns. The following are the main components of chai tea:

• Tea: The Assam and Darjeeling black teas native to India are most popular to use as a chai base. But you’ll also find chai made with various types of green teas, the South American herb yerba mate, or the South African herb red rooibos.

• Spices: The spices used in chai tea vary, but a typical masala chai is made with ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Other spices that can be used include star anise, allspice, and white peppercorns.

• Milk: Indian chai is often made with buffalo milk, but the more Western version that we are used to is typically made with cow’s milk or dairy alternatives, like soy, almond, rice, and coconut milks. Yak or goat milk may also be used in other chai beverages around the world.

• Sweetener: Sugar or honey is typically used to sweeten chai tea.

Chai tea can be made in different ways, and recipes vary across continents, cultures, towns, and families. Some recipes will have you steep a strong chai in water and then dilute it with milk, while others have you simmer the chai spices in a mixture of water and milk or in all milk.