Make Chai Tea at Home

Before we leap into how to make chai tea, a little clarification may be in order. There is not a tea named "chai tea". It is actually a drink made with tea as one of the ingredients. In some parts of the world, it is simply called "chai". In the United States it is "chai tea" and refers to a spiced milk tea. Confused? Whether you call it chai or chai tea, it is an absolutely delicious drink and very easy to make at home.

Most kitchens have the necessary tools to make this beverage at home - a pot and a strainer. The ingredients for chai are also most likely already in your kitchen. To make your chai tea, you will need:

• water
• tea leaves (preferably black)
• milk
• honey or sugar
• cinnamon or nutmeg

Brew tea for two cups (not too strong), add the sugar or honey to taste and bring to a boil. Next, add a half teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg and brew for about ten minutes. Last, add half a cup of milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, strain into a mug and enjoy! You can experiment by using different spices, brown sugar as the sweetener, or add a little chocolate. Making chai tea at home gives you an excellent opportunity to be creative. Black tea is usually the tea of choice, but you can substitute other teas for a completely different taste. Another key to adding variety to the chai is the choice of milk. Whole milk or cream makes a delicious rich chai, but it has a higher calorie count and may not be right as a frequent drink. You may want to reserve the rich chai tea for a special occasional treat and routinely make chai with low fat milk. If you are serving chai tea to guests, add a dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with just a hint of cinnamon or nutmeg.

There are, of course, other great recipes; some recipes require more ingredients and longer preparation time. For convenience, chai tea can also be purchased in tea bags or in a powdered form. This makes the process faster but definitely not better. With just a little effort, you can treat yourself to this fantastic drink at home.

Have you tried chai tea? It has been around awhile and now ranks as one of the most popular beverages. For more than 5,000 years chai tea has been enjoyed in India. Because of the spices in this drink, it was first used for medicinal purposes. Over time, chai was rediscovered for its excellent taste. It is now popular throughout the world. If you have never given this drink the taste test, get started! You will be pleasantly pleased. So, get out the teapot, the five simple ingredients, and make some great chai tea.

Learn more about the great tea varieties and explore the excellent gourmet teas.

Editor's Note: Mel Otero, author, worked in management in the mortgage banking industry and title insurance industry for over 25 years. She has started web sites and written articles to provide information, resources and inspiration during this difficult economy. She loves to write, learn and share experiences and information. Constantly researching and looking for helpful tools, the ultimate goal is making a positive difference in lives. Learning to enjoy some simple things in life - like a good cup of tea - eases the pressure during stressful times.