National Chai Day and Chai Recipe

The first time I tried chai, I was visiting a friend at the University of Maine’s campus, practically a metropolis compared to where I lived, three hours north, tucked away in potato fields and in the Northern Maine woods (or so I thought…now, I really live in the Northern Maine woods).

But, I digress. So, I was visiting her, and they had, onsite, a Starbucks. This was circa 2006, and believe it or not, I had never been to a Starbucks. We had settled in for a late-night gab fest and started to yawn, and being twenty-years old, instead of going to sleep, we got caffeinated. “We need a chai run,” she said.

“What’s chai?” I said.

“Just wait!” she said and off we went. I remember the first sip—warm, sweet, cinnamony, pretty well perfect. Though I hardly ever go to Starbucks, I still love chai. (It helps not to have one in the Northern Maine woods. But also, I love supporting local coffee shops!)

I’ve never made my own at home. To celebrate National Chai Day (That’s today! Did you know? I just found out. Read on after the recipe to find out a little bit of Chai History!) I made a home-brew, using this recipe:

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons of black tea (or 2-3 tea bags)

½ teaspoon ground cardamon (or 2-3 whole cardamom pods)

¼ teaspoon ground cloves (or 2 whole cloves)

1 teaspoon cinnamon (or ½ inch cinnamon stick)

¼ teaspoon ginger (or ½ inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped)

3-4 tablespoons of sugar (more or less to taste) or 1-2 teaspoons of honey

2 cups of water

1 cup of milk (I use whole milk but feel free to use whichever milk is your preference!)

Steps:

If applicable, grind the spices.
In a saucepan, bring your water to a boil, turn down to medium and add spices. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add tea and sugar/honey. Allow to steep for 10 minutes.
Strain out any spice bits and remove tea bags. Add milk and warm it on the stove.
Add more honey/sugar to taste and enjoy!

Tips:

Peppercorn, star anise, dried apple, orange peels, vanilla, nutmeg, fennel, and allspice would all work well in chai. Feel free to add less or more spices/flavoring as fits your palate.
Refrigerate for 3-5 days for a cold treat. You can also pour a little into a saucepan and reheat (be careful! Milk overboils quickly.)
For an easy-to-make chai, look for chai tea bags or mixes/concentrates. At most cafes, this is what they will be using, though some places might have a house chai!

Did you know?

Chai originates from India. In Hindi, the word chai translates to tea. So “chai tea” is literally “tea tea”. Does that make it the tea-est tea that has ever tea-ed?
Tea did not grow in India until the 1800s, when British imperialists brought it from China. When it was first introduced, Indians resisted it, associating it with the colonists. It wasn't until the 1930s that the drink became popular in India.
There are different versions of chai in different parts of India, and even throughout parts of Asia!
Like many Westernized things, a chai latte is very different from masala chai, the drink made culturally in India. The warming spices are the same and there’s caffeine and milk, but the experience will be different.

Personal Anecdotes

The second time I had chai was at a Panera Bread, another food chain that is non-existent in Northern Maine. (I literally had never heard of Panera Bread before, much less purchased something from them!) But, in 2006, I was on my way to Illinois State University, where I would spend two semesters as part of a National Student Exchange. I went southwest with my sister and new brother-in-law (and my sister’s mother-in-law) who were moving to Tennessee at the same time. There was a Panera Bread in Knoxville, Tennessee with chai latte on the menu.

Over a year later, I finally had chai in our little corner of Northern Maine at a lovely little cafe that opened up downtown (unfortunately it did not survive the Covid-19 pandemic and recession). But while it was open, Cafe Sorpeso served chai and other hot beverages in large, ceramic cups. It was beautiful.

Then there was the time when I had a layover in Portland, Maine on my way north via bus from Pennsylvania. Because of ticket prices and bus schedules, I could have a five-hour layover in either Boston, Portland, or Bangor, Maine. My mood and sometimes ticket prices determined where I would take the layover. Anyway, one time, on a hot, sunny day in late June, I took it in Portland. Not having much luggage, I hopped a city bus downtown. I found a farmers market (I purchased some fresh basil, which stayed on the trip!), a musician who gave me his CD, and a coffee shop. I asked the barista if she could make an iced chai. She said they only had chai tea bags, but that she was bored and if I had the time and was willing, she would experiment! I certainly had the time, so she brewed the tea, chilled it, and added milk and ice. Not a latte, but it was good!

Anyway, if chai latte is on the menu, I will probably be ordering it!