What most people know in the Western world as chai tea is called "masala chai" in the Eastern world. Whatever you call it, this tea has a history as full as its flavor. Chai is a milky tea with flavorful spices that are added.
This creamy milk like tea was first mentioned in recorded history some 5,100 years ago. A royal Indian king is believed to have discovered chai tea. He used it to cure many different ailments and as word spread of this tea's healing properties, more and more people across India began drinking it. Masala Chai became more and more popular in India as people began to drink it on a daily basis to improve their health.
This tea was thought of as a cure for many different diseases. When the seasons would change, farmers would experiment by adding different spices to this milky tea. They would also prepare it hot and cold. Over time, more and more varieties of chai tea were created.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and peppermint are just a few of the traditional spices added to chai tea. Modern spices that were later added by the Western world include vanilla, cocoa, almonds, and licorice. Sweeteners were also added like molasses, brown sugar, cane sugar, and honey. The many different spice and sugar combination's give this tea its slightly golden color.
British colonization of India around 1880 led to tea plantations being created in Assam, India. Tea was grown and cultivated to produce a fine black tea. This Assam tea recipe became the main recipe used in chai tea and it is still the recipe that is used today around the world.
The main producer of masala chai tea was in Assam, India. The time and effort required to make this tea made it one of the more expensive teas on the world market. In 1960, a new method of production was invented called the "cut, tear, and curl" method. This new method gave this black tea and even stronger flavor. It also was a quicker, less expensive method of production. This new flavor and lower cost helped skyrocket this tea to new levels of popularity around the world.
Many families have their own special masala chai recipes that have been passed down through generations. One of the most common methods for making masala chai begins with the boiling of loose black tea leaves, milk, freshly ground spices and a sweetener. Once the tea has been boiled, steeped and simmered the chai mixture is poured over a strainer to filter out the tea leaves and spice residue. Masala chai is a wonderfully palatable drink with a unique sweet and savory taste. The milky tea is usually served warm, fresh off the stove, but it can also be served over ice as a cool and refreshing drink.
This creamy milk like tea was first mentioned in recorded history some 5,100 years ago. A royal Indian king is believed to have discovered chai tea. He used it to cure many different ailments and as word spread of this tea's healing properties, more and more people across India began drinking it. Masala Chai became more and more popular in India as people began to drink it on a daily basis to improve their health.
This tea was thought of as a cure for many different diseases. When the seasons would change, farmers would experiment by adding different spices to this milky tea. They would also prepare it hot and cold. Over time, more and more varieties of chai tea were created.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and peppermint are just a few of the traditional spices added to chai tea. Modern spices that were later added by the Western world include vanilla, cocoa, almonds, and licorice. Sweeteners were also added like molasses, brown sugar, cane sugar, and honey. The many different spice and sugar combination's give this tea its slightly golden color.
British colonization of India around 1880 led to tea plantations being created in Assam, India. Tea was grown and cultivated to produce a fine black tea. This Assam tea recipe became the main recipe used in chai tea and it is still the recipe that is used today around the world.
The main producer of masala chai tea was in Assam, India. The time and effort required to make this tea made it one of the more expensive teas on the world market. In 1960, a new method of production was invented called the "cut, tear, and curl" method. This new method gave this black tea and even stronger flavor. It also was a quicker, less expensive method of production. This new flavor and lower cost helped skyrocket this tea to new levels of popularity around the world.
Many families have their own special masala chai recipes that have been passed down through generations. One of the most common methods for making masala chai begins with the boiling of loose black tea leaves, milk, freshly ground spices and a sweetener. Once the tea has been boiled, steeped and simmered the chai mixture is poured over a strainer to filter out the tea leaves and spice residue. Masala chai is a wonderfully palatable drink with a unique sweet and savory taste. The milky tea is usually served warm, fresh off the stove, but it can also be served over ice as a cool and refreshing drink.
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