How do you like your Chai Tea, Caffeine or No Caffeine?
I’ve tasted quite a few Chai teas with caffeine, but I have to say,I like the caffeine free version better. Which do you prefer?
Taste first, caffeine content second. Or last. Although, to caffeine’s defense, a good strong black tea base makes for a tastier cup, IMO.
I would be into some more really good caffeine free chai options. I like both, and caffeine content is secondary to flavour, but I feel like I have a lot of black tea based chais that I love, and maybe only one non-caffeinated one on that list? I often crave a cup of sweet, milky chai in the evening.
I used to have a bag of chai mix from a local tea store. No tea or rooibos, just the spices so you can make you want. Sadly it’s all gone now and I didn’t make any more for myself yet. Maybe that is a project for the bulk store this weekend. I really like having a good set of spice mixes so I can then make chai with whatever base I want. Or no base!
One of my friends was in love with my “decaf tai chi lattes” – spice mix, vanilla comoro, milk. He loves it. I actually sent the rest of my mix to him a few years ago as he is living in South Korea and can’t find tea there. I think he isn’t trying very hard.
Given the choice in the morning I’d choose caffeinated. At 11pm it might go differently.
Always black tea (with caffeine). The trouble is that a lot of things get called chai but most are really are just spicy tea. Chai is a very specific combination of masala spices and black tea.
Interesting. I thought that only referred to Masala Chai specifically and that chai could be really any spiced tea. Well, or tea at all since chai means tea, haha.
Not only does chai mean tea, but masala means a mixture of spices. The actual term masala chai is also very generalized.
Google won’t spit up one true version of masala chai. I’m okay with that and look forward to experimenting again with the things I just picked up (and the things I have on hand).
I really enjoy from-scratch chai, simmering the whole spices with the tea on the stove, when I have the time. I love chai tea that is pre-prepared and stove-free too…but it just isn’t quite in the same league.
I used to LOVE chai when I started drinking tea, but I haven’t really had it in a few years. I do seem to like it best when it is simmered on the stove with whole or crushed spices in a bit of milk. I don’t like milk though, so I have to be careful of my proportions. I picked up a few things to have a go at it though, and I enjoyed chai most in winter so now is the time!
I prefer my chai caffeinated, preferably made with an Assam with a good deal of cocoa notes in it. My favourite Chai is made just with Ginger and Cardamom!. My time in India, showed me that spiced tea recipes there were highly regionalized and often exhibited seasonality. Despite Rajhastan having a very spicy traditional cuisine, the roadside Chai there was much milder than most of the Chai we get in North America.
Login or sign up to leave a comment.