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Indians can refer to spiced tea as "masala chai", but I almost always just heard "chai" - I guess that's the way it's so often prepared that the spices are impl
by GordonS 7y ago
Indians can refer to spiced tea as "masala chai", but I almost always just heard "chai" - I guess that's the way it's so often prepared that the spices are implied?
- devdas 7y agoNope. Chai is just tea. Spices may be added for regional defaults, but you can also get normal milky tea.
- z3phyr 7y agoA normal "Chai" in my home is just 1:1 Milk and Water with a teaspoon of tea, a little sugar and maybe some cardomom. A "Masala Chai" is milk, water, green tea leaves, tea, cardomom, cloves, grated ginger, a leaf of tulsi and a bunch of other stuff according to taste.
- twic 7y agoA bit like how Britons say "tea" not "black tea", even though it's a kind of tea that a Chinese tea-drinker might find a bit unusual.
- Reason077 7y agoThere's nothing unusual about black tea in China. Putting milk in it would be, though!
- hdfbdtbcdg 7y agoThat was the OP's point.
- heed 7y agoPutting milk in black tea (milk tea / boba) is very popular in China. Maybe it hasn't been historically though.
- bakul 7y agoNormal cha (what we call it in Gujarat) has no extra spices except perhaps some fresh ginger. Masala cha is made by boiling it with a spice mix of dry ginger, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, all ground to a powder. I use a proportion of 4:2:2:1:1. You can vary the proportion to your liking or add a bit of nutmeg or mace or fresh mint leaves or Indian basil (tulsi). I often add fresh grated ginger as well. At Indian grocery stores in the US you can find Wagh-bakri brand instant masala chai. Just add about 4 fl.oz of near boiling hot water to a tea pack and you get some amazingly good masala tea!
- kpremote 7y agothis is very interesting, never thought that black pepper can be mixed in tea! I am very tempted to try that at home. Do you add milk/sugar in masala tea?
- vram22 7y agoNot GP, but yes, people in India mostly add both milk and sugar to masala tea, i.e. it is not had with just tea and the masalas - IME, at least. Can't say specifically what is common in Gujarat, though, since I haven't been there except in early childhood a few times (with parents), and didn't drink tea then.
- bakul 7y agoSugar as per taste but milk is a must! I use 1:2 water:milk but you can vary it. About 1 tsp of masala per cup or mug. Typically you’d heat the whole concoction till the milky water rises once or twice. I don’t put in the tea (loose or tea bag) from the start as it tends to become bitter but it must still boil with the rest for a minute or two.