19 June, 2021 | Bon Tea Cafe Updated 2021
Chai Tea Latte 101: Unique Recipe and Alterations
If you know Chai Latte, it is highly likely that you enjoy every sip of heavenly drink with delicate milk and dark, bold black tea aroma. If it is your first introduction to Chai Tea Latte, rush to make this drink for a morning wakeup or evening rest.
The problem with Chai Tea Latte bought in stores is that it can be too sweet. Some people prefer having control over their drinks- adjusting the milk/sugar quantity, using different milk types, or making it healthy.
Whether you are fond of this drink or you are completely unfamiliar, you will find easy recipes in this guide for different variations of Chai Latte. You can also visit BonTea cafe for uniquely crafted Chai Tea Latte in LA.
Complete Recipe and Instructions
Black tea- 2 tbsp
Sweetener- ½ cup ( or based on taste)
Milk- 3 cups
Water- 4 cups
Spices:
Two cinnamon sticks
2 tsp black peppercorn
Ten cloves
Six green cardamom
One piece ginger
First, toast the spices for 3-4 minutes to make them more fragrant. Add water and ginger, and let the mixture simmer for around five minutes. When you remove the mixture from heat, put tea leaves and steep for an additional 10 minutes. Next, add sweetener and mix. Once it is completely dissolved, you can strain the tea. This way, your Chai is ready.
When preparing the drink, make sure you add ¾ cups of Chai and ¼ cups of froth milk.
Yet, you are free to apply any alterations to make the drink suitable for your taste.
1.What is Chai Tea Latte?
Chai Latte is the combination of tea with spices and milk. If you are unfamiliar with tea and milk drinks, it might sound strange. But trust us; once you drink, you will want another glass ;)
Masala Chai is popular in India, and it involves many different spices. People who prefer tea flavor over spices can increase the amount of black tea to their taste.
Chai Latte is also called Chai Tea Latte or Chai Latte Tea in different sources. However, a correct version can be Chai Latte because Chai means tea.
2. How did Chai Originate?
The origin of Chai tea goes back to the 20th century. In India, wild tea plants were growing, and British colonists cultivated them. However, Indians preferred drinking tea as a medical treatment rather than enjoyment. Indian Tea Association wanted to stimulate people to drink more tea. Hence, they convinced employers to give tea breaks to employees.
However, vendors usually added spices, sugar, or milk to use less black tea, which was costly. Although The Indian Tea Association did not support such activity, Chai became popular quickly.
3. What Tea is Used?
Usually, black tea is preferred for this drink. Tea is added to the spice mix, but we will talk about it later. For now, you need to know that the best Chai Tea Latte is made with Assam or Ceylon Tea. These tea options have loose leaves, which means they are not like bagged tea with a lot of dust. Hence, they might taste bitter. However, you can also use English Breakfast or any other black tea options you have at home.
4. Which Spices are Used?
Spiced tea or Masala Chai is popular for its spice mix and bold flavors accompanying gentle ones creating the dance of spices on your tongue. It is advisable to have at least green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, fresh ginger, and black peppercorns.
These spices will create a complex mix of bitter and sweet tastes. If you buy whole pods and then crack the spices or pound them, you will get a better flavor. Fresh ingredients always taste better in Chai Tea Latte.
Additionally, you can add your favorite spices, such as nutmeg or fennel seeds.
5. How to Sweeten the Drink?
Sure, all those spices and black tea aroma can make the drink a little bold, and you might feel a need to sweeten the drink. Sweeteners both make it more pleasant and enhance the flavors by accentuating the spices. However, too much sweetener will eliminate the flavor of spices rather than improving it.
You can use different sweeteners in your drink, including white sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, caramel, etc. Yet, it is better to use either brown sugar, and maple syrup as their caramelized flavors match perfectly with the Chai Tea Latte.
Additionally, the timing of adding sweeteners is important. The best option is to add them directly to the tea mix when steeping before straining.
6. How to Froth Milk?
All the steps mentioned above described how to make your organic Chai tea. Now, it is time for making it a Latte <3
Latte cannot be imagined without a frothed milk. You can make it easily in an espresso machine. However, if you do not have one, you can use simple tricks.
For example, put the milk on the stove to heat it. During this time, whisk the milk fast. Additionally, you can use a blender to froth the milk. This technique is great for non-dairy milk options. Next, you can pour milk into a jar and shake it vigorously to have foam on it.
Lastly, a French press can be used. When pressing, make sure you do it around 25 times, not more. Once you see fluffy foam on top, stop pressing. Otherwise, the froth will deflate.
7. How is Chai Tea Latte Stored?
You can make a chai base in advance to save time. The drink can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for five days.
8. How to Make Vegan Chai Latte?
If you want to prepare a vegan version of Chai Tea Latte, you can use any other non-dairy milk you like. However, oat milk is usually preferred for this drink because it has a great capacity for frothing. Other milk options might not hold up to make milk froth for the latte.
9. How to Make a 5-minute Chai Latte?
Sometimes we don’t have time to prepare all the spices and froth the milk just to have a cup of delicious Chai Tea Latte. In such cases, you can immediately enjoy the drink through its 5-minute recipe version.
You will need to use ground spices rather than whole ones. Mix all spices, sweetener, and two teaspoons of water. Once combined, add it to a blender and pour heated milk over. Blend them fast to have your 5-minute Chai Latte.
Alternatively, you can skip all those steps and order now the best Chai Tea Latte in LA. We deliver all your favorite drinks fast so that you can get rid of the hustle of work or prepare for a busy workday.
10. How to Prepare This Drink Caffeine-Free?
Chai Tea Latte is a caffeinated drink because it involves black tea leaves. You might wonder if it is possible to make a caffeine-free Chai Latte. Unfortunately, substituting black tea with herbal tea or green tea does not taste the same for Chai Tea Latte. Some people simply remove the tea from the recipe to make spice mix and milk drink as an alternative. However, you can experiment with different tea types and see which one satisfies your taste buds the most.