Traditional Ingredients

Traditionally, Authentic Chai Tea is made with a mix of green cardamom pods, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, and black tea. There are more than 20 different spices used in chai tea blends to achieve that unique flavor and aroma. While all that variety may seem overwhelming at first, you don’t have to purchase everything on your first trip to an Indian market. Rather pick up a few traditional ingredients and create your own customized chai tea blend later on. And if you want to make authentic chai tea, look for loose-leaf mixes with ingredients such as roasted ginger root, star anise, or fennel seeds which I learned about from Chaiwallah Tea Company.

The best part about creating your blend is that you can find various flavors in varying amounts to create a unique taste. For example, traditional  Authentic Chai Tea should have cardamom, but maybe you’re not a big fan of its licorice flavor and would prefer more ginger or cinnamon. As long as it fits with your tastes, feel free to experiment with different spices until you’ve created a unique blend that has everything you love. And once you have all of those ingredients on hand, it’s time to move on to making your chai tea just right!

Herbs And Spices

The number of ingredients for chai tea is few, but you will need to buy several spices and teas. You can blend your spices and grind them if you wish. Consider buying whole cumin seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and ginger; these are used often in Authentic Chai Tea recipes. If you use more than one spice that needs to be ground, it is helpful to have a coffee grinder reserved just for grinding spices so that your coffee does not have an overwhelming amount of flavor from extra herbs or spices. As with all teas, freshly grinding your chai tea spices is always best for quality taste!

Chai means tea in Hindi. Authentic chai is made by mixing a variety of ingredients, such as black tea, water, spices, and sugar or honey. Chai often contains milk or cream for added creaminess and even more flavor. It is a common drink in many countries around the world. Chai is sometimes confused with masala chai or spiced tea, which refers to a variety of Indian spiced teas that vary by region and may also include cardamom, ginger root, clove, and fennel seeds. What follows are instructions for an authentic Indian black-tea-based Authentic Chai Tea recipe that we recommend you try before experimenting with your proportions of ingredients!

Finishing Touches

The true test of an Authentic Chai Tea is if it takes more than three sips to get through a cup. Its strength and, most importantly, its authenticity lies in its ability to warm you from head to toe. Drink up! If you’re after that warming feeling, there are some tips for making sure your chai is as authentic as possible: Authentic Chai Tea Ingredients - 1/2 teaspoon cardamom pods the seeds removed 2 whole cloves 4 peppercorns 3 cinnamon sticks 1 tablespoon ginger powder or freshly grated ginger root 1 black tea bag Instructions Combine all ingredients with  Savory Suit Case except for tea bag in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and add tea bag let steep for 5 minutes.

This strong and earthy drink is often served in its birthplace of India, where it’s used as a popular hot beverage. It’s also made with some spices that you can find in Indian cooking such as cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon to give it an extra kick of authenticity. However, unlike in many countries where it’s enjoyed daily, in India chai isn’t typically consumed for breakfast or as an afternoon snack but instead served after dinner on special occasions. Authentic Chai Tea The most important thing to remember when making your chai tea is to never let it boil because boiling water destroys much of its flavor. If you want to experiment with other ingredients, try adding more ginger or replacing one of your spices, for example, swapping out one cinnamon stick for another. But before long, if you’re like most people who enjoy drinking chai regularly, you might be inspired to learn how to make authentic masala chai - or spiced chai which includes even more herbs and spices.