Chai Tea

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Chai Tea

Chai Tea is based on a black tea, blended with cardamom, cloves, coriander, cumin seed, sweet cumin seeds, curry leaves, lemon grass, rampe leaves. It is best enjoyed with milk, and sugar to taste.

Chai is so prevalent in India and Sri Lanka that it could be called the ‘National drink’.

How to brew Chai

Chai can be prepared in many ways. The most common way is to boil water with the sugar and spices, add tea and milk/creamer and then proceed to simmer it for a few minutes. It is then strained and served.

The green tea-based Kashmiri version of chai is brewed with almonds, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, and sometimes saffron. In local tradition its unique pink color is said to come from the "blood of the martyrs" who have died fighting for the freedom of Kashmir. Many Western commercial preparations such as Oregon Chai are strongly flavored with vanilla and honey, with other flavors far less dominant. This results in a far mellower, "cozier" beverage than most Indian masala chais, with a markedly different flavor.