Chai Tea

What Is Chai Tea?

Chai is the Hindi word for tea, so in India a cup of "chai" is simply tea. What most people elsewhere call chai tea is masala chai: strong tea simmered in a saucepan with milk, sugar and a mix of whole spices or ground spices (masala). Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black peppercorns are the usual choice, and many recipes add fennel, star anise or nutmeg. Every family has its own recipe and every tea blender its own balance of ingredients, so two chais can taste quite different. The chai latte at your local coffee shop is a café-style version made with steamed milk.

The base is usually a black tea strong enough to hold up to milk and give chai a rich flavor: Tea with Tae uses malty whole-leaf Assam from India, Piper and Leaf uses Nilgiri, Danfe's masala chais use black tea from Ilam, Nepal, and leafberri uses Kenyan tea. You'll also find chai made with green tea, white tea, rooibos and other caffeine-free herbs.

Chai Styles in Our Collection

Classic Masala Chai

If you love bold spice, start here. Culinary Teas Masala Chai, sold loose and in tea bags, pairs black tea with a full masala spice mix for a "bold, spicy, warming" cup with a malty base. Harney & Sons Chai puts "cardamom and cinnamon up front, warm nutmeg and clove behind, and a sweet vanilla finish." Tea with Tae Bombay Chai is "bold, smooth, and naturally spiced, with no artificial flavors added," and Danfe Nepali Cardamom Spiced Tea layers sweet cardamom over tea grown at 7,000 to 7,500 feet in Ilam, Nepal. For different flavors, Culinary Teas Indian Spiced Chai, which comes only in tea bags, uses coriander, cumin, fennel and curry leaves, and Rose Chai includes rose petals. Browse all masala chai.

Vanilla, Pumpkin and Dessert Chai

If you love a creamier cup, try vanilla chai. Culinary Teas Vanilla Chai comes "with an added vanilla cream flavor," Loose Leaf Tea Company Vanilla Chai has "creamy Madagascar vanilla notes," and Danfe Vanilla Chai keeps it simple with Himalayan black tea, green cardamom and a hint of natural vanilla. Culinary Teas Gingerbread Chai "captures the essence of gingerbread cookies," White Chocolate Spiced Chai is "chocolatey, sweet, warm," and iLOLA Cocoa Chai No. 14 is "like your favorite chai latte met a gourmet chocolate bar." Danfe Coconut Chai is made with toasted coconut, Plum Deluxe Full Moon Chai uses vanilla and butternut (walnut) essences, and Beach House Pumpkin Harvest Chai includes organic pumpkin. See more pumpkin spice tea.

Caffeine-Free and Decaf Chai

Caffeine-free chai swaps the tea leaves for rooibos or other herbs. Harney & Sons Organic Rooibos Chai uses rooibos from South Africa, Culinary Teas Chai Rooibos is "nutty, cinnamony, mild zing," and Loose Leaf Tea Company Rooibos Chai blends Good Hope rooibos with chai spices. Piper and Leaf Sweetie Pie Chai, sold loose or in tea bags, is made from sweet potato with tulsi and licorice root, with notes of "candied sweet potato, cinnamon, and creamy clove." Culinary Teas Orchard Fresh Chai and Izmir Chai Spice start with apple and hibiscus, and Harney & Sons Organic Chaga Chai pairs chaga mushroom powder with chai spices. For real tea with most of the caffeine removed, choose Culinary Teas Decaf Chai. Browse rooibos tea and decaf tea.

Green, White and Purple Tea Chai

Lighter teas make a softer cup. Loose Leaf Tea Company Green Chai offers "notes of hot Malabar spice mellowed by exceptional Japan Sencha green tea," and Culinary Teas Genmaicha Chai includes roasted and popped rice for "toasty rice notes." Beach House White Cap Chai uses organic white peony tea with orange peel, iLOLA Sweet Cinnamon Chai No. 40 is a low-caffeine chai on Bai Mudan white tea, and leafberri Purple Chai is made with Kenyan purple tea and rose petals.

Fresh Chai and Chai Concentrate

If you love a quick cup, try these: liquid concentrate skips the steeping, and fresh chai brews right in the milk as it heats. Somage 9 Spice Honey Fresh Chai combines organic spices, Ceylon tea, Australian mature ginger and wildflower honey in a blend you whisk into cold milk and then heat; 9 Spice Agave Fresh Chai is the vegan version, and Turmeric Fresh Chai is caffeine-free, made with honey, rooibos and turmeric. Nepal Tea Sherpa Chai is a sweetened liquid concentrate of Nepali black tea, cane sugar and spices, with 11 servings per bottle; the Spicy version adds 60% more ginger plus cayenne, and the Ginger Turmeric version contains no tea.

Dirty Chai and Mate Chai

Dirty chai is the coffee version. August Uncommon Dirty Chai blends Assam and roasted Brazilian mate with chai spices, malted barley, coffee beans and vanilla pieces. It has notes of "coffee, cardamom, caramel, ginger," and the brand rates it high caffeine. It also comes in tea bags. Loose Leaf Tea Company Roasted Mate Chai is "a chai with mocha character and light spice."

Chai Samplers

Not sure where to start? The Culinary Teas Chai Tea Sampler includes five styles, from rooibos to white chocolate, and the Pinky Up Chai Loose Leaf Tea Sampler holds 15 single-serving packets of five blends, both caffeinated and naturally caffeine-free. With a sampler, you can't go wrong: it's an easy way to discover the flavors you like. More in tea samplers.

Shop Chai Tea by Brand

Because we carry many makers, you can compare brands side by side, find your favorite and check out in one cart.

Chai Tea Bags vs. Loose Leaf

Chai tea bags are quick, tidy and easy to take to work. Harney & Sons Chai comes in a box of 20 individually wrapped tea bags that each brew one 6 to 8 oz cup, Tea with Tae packs Bombay Chai in pyramid sachets made from plant-based sugarcane, and Piper and Leaf sells Sunrise Chai in a case of 50 individually wrapped sachets. Loose leaf chai lets you see the whole spices, like the cardamom pods and clove buds in Zum Masala Chai, and adjust the amount to your desired strength. It's sold by weight, from 1 oz samples to pound bags like the Sunrise Chai pound bag with over 190 servings, and it simmers well on the stove. Browse loose leaf tea or tea bags.

What Does Chai Tea Taste Like?

Chai tastes warm, sweet-spicy and rich: malty tea underneath, with the floral sweetness of cardamom, woody cinnamon, the heat of ginger and pepper, and the pungent note of cloves. Milk rounds out the flavors, whole milk gives the rich flavor most people expect, and a little sweetener brings the spices forward. The balance depends on the blend: Harney & Sons Indian Spice "tastes like a mixture of strong spices," while Piper and Leaf Sunrise Chai is "a light and breezy chai." In strong blends, clove and pepper can feel overpowering on their own; milk and honey soften them. Read more about what chai tea tastes like.

How to Make Chai Tea

Chai is easy to make at home. Below is a classic stovetop recipe plus quick recipes for a latte, an iced version and a dirty chai, with loose leaf or tea bags; our step-by-step guide to how to make chai tea has more tips.

Stovetop Masala Chai Recipe

This easy masala chai recipe makes one large mug, about 10 oz. Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup whole milk for a rich flavor, or plant milk
• 2 teaspoons loose masala chai, or 2 tea bags
• Optional: throw in 2 lightly crushed cardamom pods, a few slices of fresh ginger or a small piece of cinnamon stick
• 2 to 3 teaspoons sugar, honey or maple syrup, to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan, add the chai and any extra spices, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the milk, bring it back up, then reduce the heat and keep it at a gentle simmer for 1 to 2 minutes so it doesn't boil over, then turn off the heat and let it sit for a minute. Pour through a fine strainer into your mug and stir in the sweetener. Simmering much longer can turn the tea bitter. Danfe, for comparison, simmers its Nepali masala chai for 3 to 5 minutes.

Chai Latte Recipe

Steep 2 teaspoons of loose leaf or 2 tea bags in 1/2 cup of boiling water for 5 minutes, then strain. Heat 3/4 cup milk until steaming, froth it with a whisk or milk frother, pour it over the tea, and sweeten with honey or maple syrup. This makes about 10 oz. For Fresh Chai, Somage whisks about 1 tablespoon (20 g) into each 200 mL (about 7 oz) of cold milk, then heats it to about 149°F (65°C) without boiling and strains it into the cup; its Chai Spice Dust, organic spices with panela sugar, is made for sprinkling on top.

Iced Chai Latte Recipe

Brew it strong so the ice doesn't water it down: Harney & Sons brews its Chai double strength, twice the tea for the same water, then pours it over a tall glass of ice. Add cold milk and sweetener as you like. For a cold-steeped batch, Beach House steeps 1/2 oz of Inland Iced Chai in 32 fl oz of water for 2 to 4 hours in the refrigerator. Store brewed tea in the fridge (40°F or below) within 2 hours of brewing, or within 1 hour above 90°F, drink it within 2 to 3 days, and add the milk just before serving.

Dirty Chai Recipe

A dirty chai is the latte above with a shot of espresso (about 1 oz) added, so it has the caffeine of both tea and coffee. Of course, you can also brew August Dirty Chai, loose or in tea bags, which already has ground coffee in the mix, and top it with milk.

Chai Tea FAQ

Does chai tea have caffeine?

Chai made with black tea has caffeine. Harney & Sons lists 40 to 60 mg per cup for its Chai, and Danfe estimates 45 to 60 mg per 8 oz cup for its Nepali masala chai; your cup depends on the tea, the cup size and the steeping time. Green and white versions also contain caffeine, decaf has most of it removed, rooibos and most herbal styles are caffeine-free, and yerba mate chai contains caffeine. Read more in does chai tea have caffeine.

What is the difference between chai and a chai latte?

Chai is spiced tea, traditionally simmered with milk and sweetener. A chai latte is the café-style version: strong chai topped with frothed milk. Our guide to chai vs. tea explains how chai differs from a plain cup.

Is chai tea herbal?

Traditional masala chai isn't herbal, because it's made with tea leaves. Herbal versions exist, though: rooibos, Sweetie Pie with sweet potato and apple-and-hibiscus herbal chais contain no tea leaves. Browse caffeine-free tea for more.

How long should you steep loose chai?

For a black tea base, use water at or near the boil and steep 4 to 8 minutes: Harney & Sons recommends 5 minutes at 212°F for its Chai tea bags, Culinary Teas 5 to 8 minutes at 205–212°F, and Plum Deluxe 4 to 6 minutes. On the stove, a 3 to 5 minute simmer is enough. White tea needs cooler water: Beach House steeps White Cap Chai at 180°F for 6 to 8 minutes.

Can you drink chai tea every day?

Many people do. Black tea chai contains caffeine, so count it along with your other caffeine, and keep in mind that added sugar adds up. A caffeine-free rooibos chai is an easy choice for the evening.

What spices are in chai tea?

Most blends build on cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cardamom, and many add black pepper, fennel, star anise, nutmeg or coriander to their ingredients; Piper and Leaf Sunrise Chai even includes dill seed and oregano. To spice your own tea, Culinary Teas Chai Spice Mix lists the classic spices as its ingredients, from cardamom to nutmeg, with no tea leaves.

Want a short list first? See our picks for the best chai tea, read what chai is and how to drink it, or keep exploring cinnamon tea, ginger tea and black tea.