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Masala chai or "chai" tea has a history as rich and flavorful as the tea itself. What North Americans commonly refer to as "chai" is actually referred to in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet as "masala chai". Masala chai is a sweetened milky tea enhanced with a variety of spices.
Chai tea goes back over 4,900 years to the ancient courts in India. An Indian king first discovered the tea and used it for its healing properties. Various illnesses were reportedly cured by this tea and so it grew in popularity through all of India. Today, Chai tea is consumed on a daily basis across all of India and the Eastern world.
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.
In 1885, during British colonization, several tea plantations were erected in Assam, India to grow, cultivate and produce fine black tea. The resulting Assam tea quickly became the main tea type used in masala chai recipes and is still used in masala chai and chai tea recipes around the globe today.
Assam, India became the main producer of chai tea. Then, in 1960, a new method for processing the tea was invented called the CTC (cut, tear, and curl) method. This method of processing the tea was quicker and less expensive than previous methods used. As a result of this new method, chai tea became a stronger flavored black tea. This new taste and less expensive method of production helped take chai tea to new levels of popularity the world over.
Most families in the Eastern world have their own secret masala chai recipe that they pass down to the next generation. Perhaps the most popular way to prepare chai tea is to boil loose black tea leaves, add milk, add spices, then close it off with a sweetener. After the tea has finished boiling, steeped, and simmered, it is then poured over a strainer to filter out the spice residue and tea leaves. Chai is usually served warm but it is also good served ice cold. - 24553
Chai tea goes back over 4,900 years to the ancient courts in India. An Indian king first discovered the tea and used it for its healing properties. Various illnesses were reportedly cured by this tea and so it grew in popularity through all of India. Today, Chai tea is consumed on a daily basis across all of India and the Eastern world.
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.
In 1885, during British colonization, several tea plantations were erected in Assam, India to grow, cultivate and produce fine black tea. The resulting Assam tea quickly became the main tea type used in masala chai recipes and is still used in masala chai and chai tea recipes around the globe today.
Assam, India became the main producer of chai tea. Then, in 1960, a new method for processing the tea was invented called the CTC (cut, tear, and curl) method. This method of processing the tea was quicker and less expensive than previous methods used. As a result of this new method, chai tea became a stronger flavored black tea. This new taste and less expensive method of production helped take chai tea to new levels of popularity the world over.
Most families in the Eastern world have their own secret masala chai recipe that they pass down to the next generation. Perhaps the most popular way to prepare chai tea is to boil loose black tea leaves, add milk, add spices, then close it off with a sweetener. After the tea has finished boiling, steeped, and simmered, it is then poured over a strainer to filter out the spice residue and tea leaves. Chai is usually served warm but it is also good served ice cold. - 24553
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