5 Things Tea And Coffee Lovers Need To Know About Dirty Chai

Most tea and coffee lovers know all about lattes. But most of us don’t know about its spicier cousin, dirty chai. Like Harrys and martinis, chai lattes can be dirty. 

Now, chai tea lattes have been in existence for quite a long time, and it comes with a fascinating and rich history. But their variant, dirty chai, is a recent delicious beverage. Masala tea is the base for chai tea. 

Masala tea is also called black tea mixed with numerous aromatic spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger. This spiced tea is mixed with steamed milk, and that gives the beverage texture and creaminess. 

But the hidden ingredient in the beverage is its espresso shots. This beverage contains at least one shot of espresso. Chai espresso adds a whole new level to the flavor profile, and it gives you a unique experience while you taste delicious and rich. 

The drink’s robust coffee flavor combines excellently with the spices. 

What is Dirty Chai? 

Usually, when people talk about the chai latte, they refer to a particular spiced milk tea. However, the tea blend that is most generally refers to as "chai tea" is masala tea. As said earlier, masala tea is a spiced black tea blend of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and cardamon. 

These five spices are the most generally used and usually viewed as chai tea staples. But other spices are used in different masala tea variations. These can include cloves, peppercorns, and black pepper. 

You're sure to get a unique blend of these spices every time you order. And that's because each coffee and tea shop is exceptional. But chai tea is not only about spices. Find out more in the following sections. 

5 Things To Know About Dirty Chai  

1. Dirty Chai Gives A Special Sweetness Combined With Steamed Milk 

Chai tea mixes the masala black tea's spiced flavors with steamed milk. This ingredient mixture tastes delicious. At most tea or coffee shops, they use masala tea that’s concentrated, and the baristas dilute it with creamy steamed milk. 

That combination creates a strong-flavored drink. Even though it's common to use a concentrated formula, you can brew chai tea using black tea bags, and various spices added. Usually, they're brewed in a small amount of water, then blended with the steamed milk. 

By the way, you can brew the tea directly into the milk itself. However, it can be tricky because milk doesn't absorb the flavors as the tea does. But you get a richer enjoyable tea. 

Furthermore, you can take the dirty tea a step further when you add a caffeine boost. The beverage includes a shot of espresso that gives the sourced drink a richer and fuller taste. Masala tea is used to make chat tea, and it contains some caffeine. 

Even though the beverage has some caffeine in it, it's a lot less compared to your regular cup of coffee. Most coffee drinkers prefer to add a shot or two of espresso to boost their energy during the day. 

The masala tea helps balance the bittersweet nature of the espresso while adding a different taste level to the drink. When you add espresso to the chai tea latte, you give it more flavor, and you can make it any time of the day. 

2. Original Dirty Chai Is Different From Modern Version

Black tea is ancient, but masala tea began to circulate in 1835. That was when the British started black tea farms in India. Spices and milk were usually added to the original black tea because it was a costly ingredient. 

So the spices and milk decreased the cost while maintaining the drink's flavor and spice. The mixture of the ingredients was prevalent, and it has remained the same even though the price of black tea is not high anymore. 

Chai tea sold in modern tea shops is hugely different from the version sold in India, especially coffee and tea shops in the United States. The Indian version contains not just spice, but they are very spicy. 

Traditional chai tea is nearly bitter and contains little sweeteners, sometimes not at all. How the beverage was seen in the past may have caused chai tea's level of spice. Historically, Indian residents viewed the beverage as a medical drink, not a recreational caffeinated drink. 

3. The Benefits of Dirty Chai Are True

This Chai has some health benefits. The beverage contains numerous spices that help to reduce inflammation and boost the immune system. The drink is known to decrease symptoms of sore throats and colds, and other ailments.  

But the beverage has other benefits as well: 

• Fights against diabetes. Taking chai can help people with diabetes Type II, and black tea can regulate glucose in the blood. 
• Dirty Chai serves as an energy booster. Did you know that a cup of tea can keep you active throughout the day? This beverage can keep you active without affecting your health. That's because it contains caffeine but in safe quantities. Dirty Chai also keeps you active and flushes out any toxins in your body. 
• Improves digestion. The drink can also help in digestion and problems related to digestion. For example, it's known to relieve acid reflux, constipation, and intestinal infections. 
• The drink helps in weight loss—dirty chai aids in boosting metabolism and boosts fat burning. If you combine chai with moderate exercise, you can burn calories and lose weight. 
• Fights against hypertension. The black tea in chai can regulate blood pressure in the body. The potassium content found in the drink can relax the tension in arteries and blood vessels. It’s also good for bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL). 

4. Different Kinds Of Dirty Chai 

The common variations of the drink are iced dirty chai and blended one. But there are other variations you need to check out: 

• Dairy or vegan-free. These are alternatives that are made with almond milk or soy milk. 
• Green tea dirty chai: With this beverage, green tea is used in place of black tea. 
• Ying-Yang coffee tea. This drink is a blend of black tea (suitably Ceylon), drip coffee, and sweetened condensed milk. 
• Faux dirty chai. This method has a similar flavor to a chai latte. For example, you can order a ginger latte, cinnamon latte, cardamom latte, or spiced tea with an espresso shot and milk. 

5. Purchasing And Storing

You can order a dirty chai in most coffee shops. If you can’t find it on the menu, ask for a chai latte with a shot of espresso. You can also find the drink on the Starbucks menu, but on the “secret” section. 

Maybe you want your chai cold. In that case, you can request a dirty iced chair or a blended chai. The second option is blended until smooth and usually served with whipped cream or other toppings. 

You can find popular brands where you can prepare the drink at home. Some include Celestial Seasonings or Simply Balanced. 

You can keep all the store-bought versions in the pantry. 

Conclusion

If you want to enjoy your money and get enough energy boost throughout the day, dirty chai can help you with that. It's easy to make, primarily if you use the store-bought versions, and it comes with numerous health benefits, so you have nothing to worry about. That said, you can order online now, and we’ll gladly ship them to you at your utmost convenience.