Chai
Spice up your tea time with chai
Featuring aromatic ingredients like cinnamon, cardamom and ginger, chai is a flavoursome, warm and comforting addition to your day. Chai can be enjoyed any time of the day – from a cosy start to your morning or as a calming afternoon treat.
Discover Healthylife’s range of chai products, including traditional loose-leaf blends, convenient chai powders and caffeine-free options. Whether you’re looking for an authentic masala chai or a soothing herbal alternative, explore our chai range and bring a touch of tradition to your tea time.
What is chai?
Chai is a spiced tea originating from India. It’s traditionally made by brewing black tea with a blend of aromatic spices and herbs, often including cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black pepper.
You can prepare chai tea with milk and sweeten it with sugar or honey for a rich, aromatic and flavourful hot drink. Although in many cultures, chai is more than a drink – preparing and enjoying chai is a social ritual.
What is the best way to make chai?
Chai tea is traditionally made by boiling black tea leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Then milk is added to deepen the flavours and sugar or honey to sweeten the taste before straining the tea into a cup.
However, these days there’s a much simpler way with the many chai tea bags, spice mixes and powders for an instant cup of chai comfort. Mix chai spice mixes with milk to make a chai latte or mix a chai blend with honey before preparing your tea for a sticky chai.
Does chai contain caffeine?
Some chai varieties contain caffeine while others don’t. It depends on which base is used to make the chai. If the chai is made with a caffeinated black tea base, then the chai will naturally contain caffeine.
Herbal or rooibos varieties will likely be caffeine-free, as long as no caffeinated ingredients have been added. If you’re looking for a caffeine-free option, check the packaging and ingredients list.
What is the difference between chai and tea?
The primary difference between chai and regular tea lies in the spices. While tea generally refers to any brewed beverage made from tea leaves, chai specifically involves a blend of tea leaves and warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.
In the Western world, we often refer to chai as masala chai, a spiced milky tea. Tea on the other hand refers to plain black, green or herbal tea varieties without added spices.
If you enjoy drinking hot beverages and are looking for a change from regular tea and coffee, browse Healthylife’s range of chai teas today.