Our hand crafted, small batch Teahouse Chai™ has been a staple of the Boulder community for over 25 years. We have been proud to serve our family recipe at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse and are thrilled to offer our chai concentrate in both 32oz and 64oz bottles.
Malty black tea is blended with aromatic spices including cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. The mix is sweet, rich, and balanced. Add your favorite milk, or alternative, in equal parts for an uplifting treat.
What is Chai?
Chai is the Hindi word for tea, and is derived from the Chinese word, cha. Masala Chai is the full name of the beverage. Masala refers to any blend of herbs and spices, so Chai Masala is the name of the spice blend used in chai.
What most of us know as "chai tea" or a "chai latte" comes from the Indian beverage, Masala Chai, made with black tea, milk, and an assortment of spices. These can typically include ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and other spices depending on the brewer's preference.
India's history with tea is very dynamic. Over time, Masala Chai, has developed as an important beverage throughout South Asia, with many families having their own unique recipes passed down generation to generation.
How to Make
How to Make Teahouse Chai ™
- Add 1:1 chai concentrate to your choice of milk.
- Heat on a low temperature until simmering or, pour over ice.
Make Your Own Chai at Home
Ingredients:
- Filtered Water
- Assam Black Tea
- Your Choice of Spices
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Star Anise
- Cloves
- Pepper
- Coriander
- Nutmeg
- Fennel
- Your Choice of Milk
Instructions
- Add 12oz of filtered water to a medium sauce pan.
- Add your choice of spices.
- 2 teaspoons of ground spices
- 3-5 teaspoons of whole spice + large spices *adjust to taste
- Cover and simmer for 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Add 2 teaspoons of Assam black tea
- Our Mountain Morning ™ black tea blend is a perfect base for masala chai.
- Use our Decaf English Breakfast for decaf chai tea.
- Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add 12oz of your choice of milk, heat to a simmer.
- Add sugar or sweetener to taste.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer or tea basket, and serve.
Benefits
Masala Chai at its core is a very simple drink with very few ingredients. This alone lets us know exactly what’s in our cup. It is made with water, tea, milk, spices, and sugar or honey. These are the ingredients that add the benefits of chai tea.
Tea has a wide range of organic compounds that help maintain energy, sleep, and stress. Caffeine is the most well known compound, which is great for a light kick of energy. However another prominent compound, L-Theanine, gives tea many other health benefits. This includes helping to improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and boost mental clarity.
The spice mix used in chai also adds its own unique benefits. One of the most common ingredients is Cardamom, which has been in traditional medicines to aid with digestion and maintaining weight. It has also shown some potential for clinical use in animal based and some human based studies. Cinnamon is also featured in some scientific literature indicating it may aid in blood glucose regulation, and emerging evidence shows that Fennel may have many health benefits including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Your choice of spices can greatly effect the benefits of chai tea, and learning more about them adds a new layer to the experience.
Water milk, sugar, and honey all have their own unique qualities and benefits whether it be the rich creaminess of whole milk, the robust flavor offered by alternatives, or the sweet taste from sugar and honey. All of the ingredients in chai come together to offer their benefits, and it’s up to you to decide how you want to build it.
