Vanilla Masala Chai – Black Tea

Brew & Taste

After brewing Vanilla Masala Chai with hot water, the resulting beverage will be of light yellow color and fragrant, pleasantly spicy aroma. The taste is full of spices, with a hint of vanilla and high-quality black tea.

Origins

The so-called chai tea, or masala chai, has been a part of Indian tea culture since the ancient times. Its predecessor, a drink from herbs and spices called “kadha”, was used for various therapeutic rituals. When the East India Company began establishing tea plantations around India, tea culture inspired the natives to combine fermented tea leaves with spices, milk and even sugar. The result was spiced tea – or masala chai in Hindi. Even though this variety never gained major popularity among the British, it became a staple in India. During the 20th century, masala chai spread throughout the country and eventually to Europe.

The most common variety is a mix of strong black tea, cardamom, clove, ginger and black pepper. This gives it a sweet and spicy taste, which can not only warm you up but also leave a pleasant tingle on your tongue. The more cardamom in the blend, the more floral its taste. Nowadays, spices are an essential part of every kitchen, so making a masala drink at home isn’t out of the realm of possibility for nearly anyone. However, it hast always been like that – in ancient civilizations such as Egypt, India or China, spices were highly prized possessions and even carried religious meaning.

In medieval Europe, spices were luxury goods, a symbol of wealth and sometimes even used as currency. They spread to the so-called “old continent” thanks to the Arabic merchants, first on land and later on sea. Only during the Industrial Revolution did they become an accessible part of every-day life around the world. Still, its history gives it an air of exclusivity and opulence.

Masala Chai is traditionally prepared by boiling black tea along with spices in a big pot, followed up by adding milk and sugar. Then, the mixture is strained and poured into cups – traditionally made from tin – and enjoyed while still hot.

Tea packaging preview

We pack our teas in a strong, zip-lock aluminum packet which allows you to easily re-seal its contents. This container protects the quality of the tea against humidity, light or foreign odors, all of which could noticeably affect the quality of the brew.