Undoubtedly, the most common question we face in our everyday life is- “Chai?” This word is filled with emotions and if you are a true tea lover, you will feel exactly like you feel in a rollercoaster- happiness and excitement, all together! The second question that still lingers in our head is- “does chai tea have caffeine?” We will be happy to present you with the answer if you stay till the end of this article!
Before revealing some interesting facts about the Chai tea, let us take a sneak peek into its history.
History of Chai tea:
Chai is a Hindi word for tea. The only Hindi word (known to us!) that carries more feelings and emotions than the original English word! Chai or Masala chai is a flavoured beverage that can be made according to your choice. It is prepared by brewing black tea with a mixture of spices and herbs to let the flavour kick in!
Chai tea originated in the Indian subcontinent and gained recognition worldwide for its savouring flavour, beautiful aroma and its secret ingredient taste! Becoming popular, it is one of the main attractions of India and is a growing favourite for the teenagers as well as adults. The cafes serve this tea in the name of Spiced tea or Masala Chai or Chai tea.
The blending of black tea with milk and sugar was popularized thousands of years later after the craze for raw black tea. Camellia Sinensis Assamica tea plant variety was cultivated in India by the British. It was when the British desired for a strong cup of black tea with sugar that Chai tea came into the existence.
Since then, there has been a separate fan base for the love of Chai tea and you are welcome, if you are one of them!
Components of Chai tea:
As mentioned earlier, Chai tea or Masala tea is the perfect cup of tea that you have been looking for! Because of its ingredients, tea lovers usually go gaga over it!
- Tea leaves- The tea leaves used is black tea, either Darjeeling tea or Assam tea. This tea has its own taste, flavour and aroma that sets your mood just right! The best thing would be, if you grab your pack of black tea from the Tea Swan and get to judge it on your own! In some parts of the world, you would find herbal teas blended with spices but without tea leaves. Do not be surprised or disappointed as this is also one of the many ways to consume your chai tea!
- Milk- Milk tea isn’t a new thing for the tea lovers, considering the second most common question that they would be asked, “milk tea or black tea?” (It’s a tough choice to make, we understand!) Indian chai is all about its special blend. Milk is used to dilute the tea, apart from giving it a unique taste.
- Sweet- Sugar or honey? The choice is completely yours! Considering Indians, they like their tea to be sweet. Indians are the only ones who justifies the line, “kuch meetha ho jaaye?” Not only Indians, many people like their tea to be sweet, whether black tea or green tea.
- Spices and Herbs- The secret ingredient of Chai tea is here! Blend your tea with spices like ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Saffron can be your added ingredient! The tea will have a taste and aroma that will satisfy your soul to the most.
Because of these components in the chai tea, people pester with a question, “does chai tea have caffeine?” Let us look for it now!
Does chai tea have caffeine?
Tea lovers already have an answer to this. Yes, chai tea contains caffeine. It is much lesser than a plain, raw cup of black tea but more than a cup of green tea.
The reason for having caffeine in chai tea is the black tea leaves. Since black tea is used for the preparation of chai tea, it contains some amount of caffeine. Do not worry! You do not need to stop taking chai tea because of this.
The amount of caffeine depends upon several factors including the amount of black tea and milk that are used, the brewing technique and the time given for it to steep.
So, the real question is how much caffeine does chai tea have?
On an average, one cup of chai tea will contain approximately 20mg of caffeine in it. A strong cup of black tea has more than this. If the brewing technique is perfect and the steeping time is less, your chai tea will have less than 20mg of caffeine!
This intake of caffeine will not adversely affect the body. If you are worried about having sleep difficulties because of consuming chai tea, then let us tell you that this is not the case. Drinking chai tea will kick your drowsy and sleepy mood and bring you back with full of energy but it will not affect your sleeping schedule.
However, if you are an earnest chai tea lover, we have a solution for you! Grab your favourite pack of chai tea from the variety available in the Tea Swan and follow these simple chai tea making steps!
- Boil water and take the required amount of black tea leaves.
- Let it boil for 1 minute.
- Add milk (in your required quantity as we do not want this special tea to be ruined) and sugar (desired quantity).
- Let the mixture boil. Add the spices and herbs (according to your availability).
- Brew it together for 2 minutes.
- Pour it in a cup and enjoy every sip of it!
Following these steps will not only make your chai tea wonderful in taste, but also have low amount of caffeine in it.
Are you a lover of Chai tea latte?
The two things teenagers are crazy about in this tea world are- Iced tea and Latte teas! Chai tea latte is a combination of tea and milk that is made by pouring the tea from the tea infuser in a hot cup of milk! The milk makes all the difference. Instead of mixing it with the tea and other spices, it is poured separately.
Making a chai tea latte is the easiest and the simplest of all the tea recipes. Get hold of a Tea Infuser from the Tea Swan to experience the best chai tea latte ever!
Do you know how much caffeine does a chai tea latte have?
Generally, a cup of chai tea latte consists of more concentration of caffeine than the normal chai tea. There is around 50mg of caffeine in the latte chai.
Note: Consuming chai tea latte is not preferable on a daily basis. Once or twice a week, drinking this tea latte is the ideal one!
Do not miss out chai tea latte because of its caffeine percentage! We do not want you to miss the tastiest and relishing tea ever!
How to make Chai tea easily at home?
Surprisingly, there are 3 variants of Chai tea that you can make at home – with milk, without milk or using packaged tea leaves.
To make Chai tea without milk, first, heat a few cups of water in a teapot or pan and add the Black tea leaves to it. Once the colour starts changing add few shreds of peeled and crushed ginger, 3 to 4 crushed cardamom, a pinch of turmeric (optional), 3 to 4 black pepper, 4 to 5 cloves, and a broken cinnamon stick if you like. Boil this mixture for a few minutes (you can also steep it) and strain it. At the end add honey or sugar to taste and squeeze in a lemon wedge or two to enhance the taste.
If you want to milk in your Chai tea, add your preferred amount of milk after heating the water, and then add the Black tea leaves. Absolutely nothing changes in the rest of the recipe as mentioned above.
And in the case of packaged Chai tea leaves, all you need to do is boil water (you can add milk too), add tea leaves as per your preference, give a good boil to the whole concoction, and add sugar to taste. That’s it, your Chai tea is ready.
How to make an Iced Chai Tea Latte?
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Make Cold Brew-
To a large pitcher add course ground coffee and 4 cups of water. Stir to mix and let sit overnight. Pour mixture through a filter to separate the grounds from the concentrated cold brew. Discard the grounds and keep the cold brew in a pitcher.
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Make Chai Tea concentrate-
Add 11/2 cups of water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling adds 4 tea bags and turns the heat off! Let the tea steep for 5 minutes and then remove tea bags from the hot water. Allow the tea to cool then add to the cold brew mixture.
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Serve-
Pour latte mixture over ice with coconut milk and agave!
This is the recipe Teaswan has provided you! Everything can be mixed together ahead of time if you like, including the coconut milk. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days and serve over ice as you are ready for a smooth cup of deliciousness.
There are 120 milligrams of caffeine, 53 grams of sugar, and 310 calories in this version of tea with its rich flavour and creamy consistency! Chai latte is a perfect choice for your hot summer days.
Tea Swan lets you choose your favourite one from the variety of options available. When you get yourself a chai tea, do not forget to look at the Tea Infuser offered by us.
The options for Chai tea in the Tea Swan are-
Apart from these, we have something special to offer you! Tea Swan presents to its customers two unique chai teas-
- Swan Signature Chai
- Swan Premium Chai
If you are already a Chai tea person, try your hands on the special teas that we have to offer you! You will not be disappointed for sure!
Chai tea can be your favourite go-to tea and your only company in the evenings by the sunset! It can be your morning kick-starter of the day and your evening cup of tea to get over your work blues!
Chai tea is a special kind of tea that even the first time drinkers love! The flavour of the chai will depend in the way it is made. It will have a spicy aroma that will make your heart beat faster, a taste that will make you drink your tea faster and then want some more and it appears to be like any other milk tea! The real wonder lies when you smell it and taste it. Tea Swan provides you its unique collection of chai teas that you surely do not want to miss! Best consumed twice a day, this tea possess the power to make your mood better and fills you up with some great energy!