Cookbook:Chai Tea
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
Contents |
[edit] General
Chai (pronounced chaī) is a kind of tea; it usually contains: black tea, milk, spices and sweetener. It is most popular in Southern Asia, though in recent years has gained attention in North America. Many Chai drinkers attest that Chai creates a warm, homey, passive feeling in the drinker. In America, one can often find Chai mixes- the Chai equivilant of 'Instant Coffee'. These mixes (though delicious) usually lack a taste which can only be found in home-brewed chai. Chai is a Pakistani-Indian beverage, made quite like the English Black Tea. It has a subtle flavor and is meant to be gulped down and dipped into with a tea rusk. It has a nice beige/caramel color, and has a little more thickness to it like what coffee has. Chai is currently popularized in America and England. It is also featured in many coffee shops like Starbucks.
[edit] History
Tradition holds that Chai was first concocted by a King of India and Siam, and that the recipe was considered a royal treasure for centuries. In fact, Chai can be traced back to a Hindu healing practice known as "ayurveda"; a mixture not unlike today's Chai was used to treat physical ailments.
[edit] Etymology
Chai is the Hindi word (Hindi: चाय) for tea. In English, the term is used to refer to what is more properly known as masala chai (Hindi (मसाला चाय [masālā chaiy], "spiced tea"). Chai is also a standard term for "tea" in many other Eastern languages, including Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, Turkish, and Urdu, as well as in such non-Eastern languages as Russian (чай) or Serbian (чај).
[edit] Versions
There are different methods of making Chai in different regions. There is one distinct difference between Indian and Pakistani Chai: Indian Chai has a spicy taste, whereas Pakistani Chai has a lighter, more creamier touch.
[edit] Ingredients Guide
- Black tea
- Earl Grey
- Darjeeling Tea: Hard to find, but often considered on of the finest black teas avalible.
- Milk
- Steamed Milk is best, but takes time and skill to prepare
- Low-Fat Milk works fine
- Whole Milk, Creamer, or Dried Milk
- Honey: Often used as sweetener. Use in moderation, it is powerful!
- Sugar or Artificial Sugar: For a more Western tea taste
- Cloves: Made from a dried flower, common in Chai.
- Cardamom Seeds: Very common in Chai. Often de-shelled or ground for preperation in Chai, though leaving them in the shell is not unheard of.
- Cinnamon: Common in Chai, especially "winter" or "Christmas" Chai. Both Cinnamon Stick and Cinnamon Sugar can be used.
- Ginger: That stuff that comes with sushi. Common in Chai, can be used either whole or in powdered form.
- Nutmeg
- Peppercorn: This is what is inside of pepper-shakers, it is very common in Chai. Can be used either whole or ground.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Found in "Christmas" or "Pumpkin Pie" Chai. Should be used in moderation, as it can be overpowering.
- Vanilla
- Cocoa
- Licorice
