Rule 1
Build a Strong Base
Chai starts with concentrated black tea. Go stronger than your normal cup so it stands up to milk.
Learn • Tea Types
Chai — Spiced Black Tea, Comfort in a Cup
“Chai” in many places simply means tea, but what most of us mean is spiced black tea with milk and a little sweetness. Think cozy, café-style comfort with cinnamon, cardamom, and friends.
This page is your chai decoder: what it actually is, how to brew a bold base that doesn’t go muddy, and how to build a stovetop or shortcut latte that tastes like a hug in a mug.
Spiced black tea base
Cozy & creamy
Great hot or iced
Perfect for lattes
Quick Start: Comfort-First Chai Rules
Most sad chai is either too weak, too sweet, or too flat. These rules fix that quickly.
Rule 2
Spice + Sweet = Balance
Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, clove & friends shine when lightly sweetened. Too much sugar = spice disappears.
Rule 3
Add Milk Last, Not First
First brew your tea + spices strong in water. Then add milk and heat gently for a creamy finish.
What Makes It “Chai”
Chai isn’t a plant type — it’s a way of preparing tea: black tea + spices + milk + sweetener (to taste).
Step 1
Choose a Black Tea Base
Assam-style, Ceylon-ish, or breakfast blends all work well — they bring body and structure to the cup.
Step 2
Add Spices
Common picks: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, clove, black pepper. Crush lightly to wake up aroma.
Step 3
Simmer & Sweeten
Simmer tea + spices in water. Add sugar or honey while warm so it dissolves and blends with the spice.
Step 4
Finish with Milk
Add milk and heat gently — don’t violently boil. You want creamy and plush, not scorched.
In plain English: chai is comfort tea. Strong, spiced tea + a little sweetness + milk = pure “ahhh.”
Flavor Notes & Caffeine Feel
Chai drinks like a dessert-adjacent treat but still carries a black tea energy profile.
Flavor
Spiced & Cozy
Common notes: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger warmth, soft vanilla, and caramel-like sweetness from milk + sugar.
Texture
Creamy & Sippable
Milk turns chai into a soft, plush drink. Think less “sharp tea,” more “spiced latte you can sip all afternoon.”
Caffeine
Black Tea Lift
Because the base is black tea, chai usually feels like a smoother, slower coffee alternative — cozy, not wired.
Chai Styles (Quick Decoder)
There’s no single “right” chai — here’s an easy map for the most common lanes.
Style
Masala Chai (Stovetop)
Tea + whole spices simmered on the stove with milk and sugar. Classic, rich, and very “home kitchen” cozy.
Style
Chai Concentrate
Pre-brewed strong chai you dilute with milk or water. Great for batching at home and quick lattes.
Style
Chai Tea Latte
Chai base + lots of milk + foam on top. Café-style comfort, easy to customize sweet or less sweet.
Home Bar Recipe: Chai Latte (Hot or Iced)
Simple, repeatable build — with room to tweak spices to your own “house chai.”
Build
Make a Chai Concentrate
Simmer black tea + spices in water for a few minutes. Sweeten while warm. This is your “chai shot.”
Build
Add Milk (Hot or Iced)
Hot: warm/steam milk and pour over chai concentrate. Iced: pour concentrate over ice, then top with cold milk.
Tweak
Dial Spice & Sweetness
Want more kick? Add ginger or black pepper. Want softer? Lean into cinnamon, cardamom, and a touch more milk.
Pro move: if your chai tastes “muddy,” shorten simmer time a bit and lighten the sugar so the spice stays bright.