Chances are , if you ’re a tea drinker , you enjoy the occasional cupful of tender , spiced chai . But it ’s much more than a simple tea blend . There ’s a story of colonization , rebellion and reinvention in every cup , and you may find there ’s a whole lot you do n’t sleep with about this specialtea .
You’re Probably Saying It Wrong
First affair ’s first : It ’s not " chai Camellia sinensis . " It ’s masala chai , or just chai .
" There are two etymological roots for the parole for tea , " enjoin Ayan Sanyal , co - owner of the New York City basedKolkata Chai Co. “Tea originated in China , and they ’re both Formosan Word of God : teandchá . somewhat much anywhere in the world , you may say tea , te , chá or chai and you ’ll be able to get a loving cup of afternoon tea . "
In other parole , when you say " chai tea leaf , " you ’re asking for a cup of " tea tea . " What Americans call up of as chai is actually , Sanyal says , more accurately called masala chai . " Masala just means spices , " he says . " So , a masala chai is a spiced tea with Milk River . "
Chai Began in India
Chai grow in India , whereancient royalsdrank a healing beverage made with spicery and milk . tight forward to the late 19th century , when the British tea diligence plant tea orchard in India , then under compound ascendance . " They really want Indians to toast tea , but Indians were n’t interested , " says Sanyal . " The British created this Brobdingnagian marketing program that put tea stalls in gearing stations , gave workers tea prisonbreak , and fundamentally put tea into people ’s lifetime in every single way possible . "
But rapidly , Sanyal continues , Indian tea culture took on characteristic all its own . Spiceswere tot up and masala chai was created . " It was born on the streets from this colonial merchandise that was inflict on them . It ’s kind of both a rebellion and also the first appropriation . "
Health Benefits of Chai
Theearly namefor masala chai waskadha , long reckon a magical boozing , used therapeutic communicable illnesses like mad throat , cold , headache and feverishness .
Chai can provide a number ofhealth benefits , depending on the spicery used ; it ’s ahealthier choicethan sugary drinks such as hot cocoa , and is very low in calories as well .
The black tea and cinnamon in chai may helppreventhypertension . Researchindicatesthat people who drink several cup of inglorious teatime every day lower their blood pressure by several points . The cinnamon that is one of the chief ingredients in chai has also been show tolower blood pressureand , in hoi polloi with diabetes , has beenshownto supporter reduce the levels of full cholesterin , ( especially LDL , or " bad , " cholesterol ) and triglyceride by up to 30 pct .
Ginger , one of the ingredients that gives chai its classifiable spiciness , has beenusedfor thousands of long time in both traditional and alternative medicament . It ’s known to aid digestion , foreshorten sickness and help fight the influenza and common cold .
But perhaps the most powerful wellness benefit of chai is found in its antioxident properties , which come from the polyphenols happen inblack teaandcardamom , both known to protect cells from thefree radicalswhich can cause everything from cancer to increase sign of aging .
How Chai Went Mainstream
Today , chai is a popular menu option at major chocolate chains , and a unwashed flavoring for everything from candle to candy . But the taste perception that many associate with chai is a passably major departure , Sanyal says , from its bona fide formula .
" The chai you ’re getting now in America was popularized by Starbucks in the early nineties , " he says . " That chai is a small bit more cinnamony and super , super gratifying . And it ’s made from a syrupy sort of dressed ore . People attend at it as kind of like a spice boozing , but there ’s so much more to it . It kind of got lost in translation , because everyone knows what chai is , but no one really know what chai is . "
Sanyal started his society with his brother to let on more the great unwashed to the real flavour visibility of chai – the one they could find on the street of India . " We were just like , you bed , we really have to do this , and do it for the culture . "
How to Make Masala Chai
A authoritative masala chai formula has three basic building blocks . " Masala , again , means spicery , " pronounce Sanyal . " Chai entail Camellia sinensis , and then we have our Milk River . " The spiciness blend is what take a loving cup of chai unique and special . It can motley by neighborhood , and even kinsperson to kin . " Everyone has their own recipe , " says Sanyal , " but it ’s usually a mix of cardamon , gingerroot , cinnamon , cloves , and peppercorn . Some mass put in mountain , and the great unwashed put in lemongrass . It ’s usually the sweeter spices used in South Asiatic cooking . "
To brew chai , the first step is to simmer the spices in a saucepan with a cup or so of body of water . Then , once the flavors have blend and inculcate , add black tea leaf and permit it brew as you commonly brew it . Experimentation is the winder to learn how to create your own everlasting spice mix and teatime ratio . you may make it as impregnable and as spicy as you like it . After a few minutes of brewing , tense up the spicery and coarse tea out . Finally , add Milk River , as little or as much as you wish , to make everything deep and creamy . you may use any type of Milk River or ointment that you like , butwhole moo-cow ’s milkis best , as its gamy fat capacity balances well with the spicery mixing . Full cream or sweetened condense Milk River also work well . While the savour may be complex , the appendage is not . The good thing about chai , Sanyal says , is that anyone can make themselves a cup .
" Chai has been a bit shrouded in mystery , " he say . " hoi polloi have heard of the word but they do n’t know it ’s really easygoing to make at home . And actually , it ’s so delicious when you make it at rest home , because you could make it your own and modernise your own kinship with it . It ’s something that ’s accessible to everyone . "
