Quality loose-leaf tea, made affordable

This is a classic Masala Chai: full-bodied tea that enhances South Indian masala spices. The finish has cardamom notes peeking out from lively ginger.

History & Heritage

In India, chai simply means tea. Spiced tea has long roots in South Asian traditions, and masala chai, meaning "spiced tea," became an everyday drink in the early 20th century. At that time, the Indian Tea Association promoted tea drinking across India through tea stalls, demonstrations and vendors at railway stations. Street vendors, known as chaiwalas, often brewed the tea with milk, sugar and spices, creating the beloved style found on street corners throughout India today.

Interesting Facts

• Traditionally this chai would be brewed using milk instead of water. You can create the same effect by brewing your tea the usual way and adding warm milk.

• Ingredients: black tea, chopped and powdered ginger, cardamom, coriander and cinnamon, chopped cloves and chopped black pepper.

Tasting Notes & Pairings

Bold, warm and spicy, superb with milk and sugar. Pair it with samosas, biscuits, carrot cake, or buttered toast.

Brewing tips (general guideline): turn your bag of chai upside down a few times first, since powdered spices can settle. Use 1 heaping teaspoon per 8 oz of freshly boiled water (212°F), steep 4–5 minutes, then add warm milk and sweetener to taste.

Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, Masala Chai is a quality loose-leaf tea offered at an affordable price, with sample and larger sizes so you can find your favorite. Explore more in our Chai collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.

Creamy Madagascar vanilla notes dance with tingling Malabar Coast spices, and a lively ginger finish is accentuated by candy-sweet cardamom. No wonder it is one of our best-selling teas.

History & Heritage

In India, chai simply means tea. Spiced tea has long roots in South Asian traditions, and masala chai, meaning "spiced tea," became an everyday drink in the early 20th century. At that time, the Indian Tea Association promoted tea drinking across India through tea stalls, demonstrations and vendors at railway stations. Street vendors, known as chaiwalas, often brewed the tea with milk, sugar and spices, creating the beloved style found on street corners throughout India today.

Interesting Facts

• Ingredients: black tea, dried miniature daisy, calendula petals, chopped and powdered ginger, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and natural flavors.

Tasting Notes & Pairings

Smooth, creamy and warmly spiced. Wonderful as a latte with steamed milk, and delicious with snickerdoodles, banana bread, or pancakes.

Brewing tips (general guideline): turn your bag of chai upside down a few times first, since powdered spices can settle. Use 1 heaping teaspoon per 8 oz of freshly boiled water (212°F), steep 4–5 minutes, then add warm milk and sweetener to taste.

Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, Vanilla Chai is a quality loose-leaf tea offered at an affordable price, with sample and larger sizes so you can find your favorite. Explore more in our Chai collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.

This Spiced Chai is a blend of seven classic spices and a flavorful black tea. It brews a full-bodied, warm cup with just the right amount of spiciness.

History & Heritage

In India, chai simply means tea. Spiced tea has long roots in South Asian traditions, and masala chai, meaning "spiced tea," became an everyday drink in the early 20th century. At that time, the Indian Tea Association promoted tea drinking across India through tea stalls, demonstrations and vendors at railway stations. Street vendors, known as chaiwalas, often brewed the tea with milk, sugar and spices, creating the beloved style found on street corners throughout India today.

Interesting Facts

• Ingredients: cinnamon, ginger, black tea, green cardamom pods, allspice, cloves and black pepper.

• It is excellent both hot and iced.

Tasting Notes & Pairings

Warming and aromatic with a peppery kick. Serve it hot with milk and honey, or chill it for an iced chai. Pair it with pakoras, oatmeal cookies, or apple pie.

Brewing tips (general guideline): turn your bag of chai upside down a few times first, since powdered spices can settle. Use 1 heaping teaspoon per 8 oz of freshly boiled water (212°F), steep 4–5 minutes, then add warm milk and sweetener to taste.

Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, Spiced Chai is a quality loose-leaf tea offered at an affordable price, with sample and larger sizes so you can find your favorite. Explore more in our Chai collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.

Fresh, bright and quietly sweet, this Sencha is a classic steamed green tea from Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture. It brews a cup that is slightly sweet and vegetal, mildly astringent, with reasonable depth.

History & Heritage

Sencha is the everyday tea of Japan, and its modern form dates to 1738. That year, Nagatani Soen, a tea farmer in Ujitawara near Kyoto, developed a method of steaming fresh leaves and then rolling and drying them in stages, producing a tea with a vivid green color and fresh aroma. Steaming, rather than the pan-firing used in China, became the hallmark of Japanese green tea. Today Sencha is grown across Japan, and Kagoshima, on the southern island of Kyushu, is one of the country's largest tea-producing prefectures. Steamed Sencha was later sold in Edo, today's Tokyo, by the tea merchant Yamamoto Kahei, which helped make it a national favorite.

Interesting Facts

• Kagoshima is Japan's second-largest tea-producing prefecture, with a long growing season.

• Japan's tea production is among the most efficient in the world, and it exports only a small share of what it grows.

• Steaming stops the leaves from oxidizing and locks in their green color and fresh flavor.

Tasting Notes & Pairings

A quality, well-rounded green tea to enjoy throughout the day, with a clean vegetal sweetness and a gentle finish. It also makes a very refreshing iced tea. Pair it with sushi, rice dishes, grilled fish, or lightly sweet treats like mochi.

Brewing tips (general guideline): use 1 heaping teaspoon (about 2–3 g) per 8 oz of water at 160–175°F, steeped 1–2 minutes. Do not over-brew. Adjust to taste.

Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, Sencha is a quality loose-leaf tea offered at an affordable price, with sample and larger sizes so you can find your favorite. Explore more in our Green Tea collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.