Ready to travel? We are sharing this delicious chai latte recipe with you, telling you a little more about the origins of Chai, its benefits, and guiding you in choosing the black tea to accompany it. We hope to win you over and see you joining the ranks of Chai latte addicts soon.
Time to make Chai Latte
First of all, there is no fixed recipe for Chai Latte. Everyone adapts it to their own taste. Traditionally, chai is often very sweet, sometimes extremely sweet. A little sugar can enhance the flavour of certain spices, so have fun if you enjoy richly spiced blends.
The essential ingredients for your Chai latte recipe
- 2 spoonfuls of your favourite spiced blend. Tchaï of the Tiger, Kashmir Tchaï or Prince Wladimir
- 1 L of water
- 1 teaspoon of honey or agave syrup
- 100 ml of milk
- 1 pinch of cinnamon or another spice of your choice
And one Chai Latte for table 3!
Step 1: brew your spiced teaOnce you have chosen your spiced black tea, boil some water and pour it into your cup until it is one-third full to brew the tea. Let it steep for more or less time, depending on your taste. Our recommendation: 3 to 4 minutes to reveal all the aromas of a black tea!
Step 2: heat and froth the milk
Put the milk in a saucepan and heat it over a low heat to prevent it from burning. Once it starts steaming, turn off the heat. For a smooth foam, you can use a milk frother, a utensil available in shops.
Step 3: pour in the milk
In the cup containing your tea, gradually add the milk until it is almost full. The trick is to pour while tilting the saucepan to preserve the foam! Once the milk has been added, spoon the remaining foam over the top of your blend.
Step 4: pimp your latte
Let your creativity speak and decorate your tea latte. A touch of turmeric, a rim of cocoa around the cup, or a cinnamon stick resting on the edge of the cup. For those with a sweet tooth, add a hint of honey.
There you have it, your tea latte is ready to enjoy.
Make yourself comfortable on the sofa, put on your current Spotify playlist and let yourself dream of holidays in exotic lands.
Bonus: what if we gave our recipe a twist?
The chai latte recipe can of course be adapted to your taste. Intolerant to milk? Opt for a version with soya milk or vanilla almond milk. Plant-based milks allow you to flavour and sweeten your chai naturally.
Chai latte or matcha latte?
Let’s be honest, not everyone is a fan of spices. Just as trendy and comforting as chai latte, try matcha latte.
We show you how to prepare your matcha. For the latte version, nothing could be simpler: the recipe is the same as for chai.
Once upon a time, there was Chai
The word “chai” is another word for “tea” in Hindi. Originally, Chai was a tea grown in India, where it was first consumed as a medicinal remedy for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Its recipes vary widely across Indian regions and, over time, milk was added for a touch of creaminess.
What is a chai Latte? Chai is a little like cappuccino’s cousin from another country. Replace the coffee with spiced black tea, the cocoa powder with cinnamon, and there you have a delicious chai Latte. It is indulgent, it fills the room with the scent of cinnamon, and the flavours gently mingle on the tongue thanks to spices such as pepper, ginger or cardamom in the black tea… in short, we love it.
While Chai Latte is THE essential hot drink of the Indian subcontinent, known for its invigorating benefits, all over the world chai latte is enjoyed both “take away” while strolling through favourite neighbourhoods and at the Afternoon Tea of grand tea rooms.
Although it is centuries old, chai has been reinvented in many very modern versions: chai latte is sometimes served with a shot of espresso, iced, or even in cocktails such as the Chai Latte Martini.
We did warn you we were going to take you on a journey!
Chai and its benefits
If chai tea was first consumed as a medicinal remedy, it is because it has many benefits. Chai’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are well known. However, chai is also a very good ally during winter, as it is said to strengthen our immune system.
Finally, made mainly with spices such as cinnamon and ginger, Chai tea aids digestion. Cinnamon is known to help relieve stomach aches, vomiting and nausea. As for cloves and black pepper, these spices stimulate digestive processes.
A chai tea as a dessert after lunch is therefore an excellent idea.
Top 4 Kusmi spiced black teas
How do you make a Chai latte? First, you need to choose your spiced tea. At Kusmi, several blends are available for making your chai latte.
Kashmir Tchaï, a black tea enhanced with a blend of spices
At Kusmi, Kashmir Tchaï is probably one of the oldest members of the family. This spiced black tea is one of our oldest blends. Its origins probably date back to the days of tea caravans crossing Asia overland to Russia. For the most authentic chai latte, our Kashmir Tchaï will make all the difference, as this classic is made with the traditional spices and plants associated with Chai: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, clove and a hint of bay leaf.
Tchaï of the Tiger, an organic black tea with spices
Tchaï of the Tiger is our organic black tea with spices, ideal for your richly spiced preparations. This organic black tea stands out for its blend of spices: ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, as well as black and pink peppercorns. Organic spices that bring the blend a surprising balance of strength and sweetness.
This spiced black tea is our first organic recipe created in collaboration with WWF, contributing to the protection of wild tigers, an endangered species emblematic of tea-producing regions.
Prince Vladimir, a black tea flavoured with citrus fruits, vanilla and spices
Fancy a change? A Chai latte can just as easily be made with the iconic Prince Vladimir, with its citrus and vanilla notes. This emblematic Russian tea from the house is one of our many Earl Grey teas.
Sweet Love, a black tea with exhilarating notes of spices, guarana, liquorice and pink peppercorns.
Sweet Love will awaken the senses with its blend of spices, guarana, liquorice and pink peppercorns.
So, which spiced blend will you fall for to make your Chai Latte?