How To Make Chai

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.

Mouth-enlivening masala spices and vanilla combine with sweet rooibos to create a caffeine-free herbal treat.

History & Heritage

Rooibos, meaning "red bush," grows in the Cederberg mountains of South Africa's Western Cape, where the indigenous Khoisan people have long known the plant. In 1904, a merchant named Benjamin Ginsberg began selling it as "Mountain Tea," and in the 1930s Dr. Le Fras Nortier helped develop methods for cultivating it as a crop. Here, that naturally sweet herb meets the spices of Indian masala chai, the spiced milk tea popularized across India in the early 20th century.

Interesting Facts

• Ingredients: rooibos, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, orange and natural vanilla flavor.

• The mix of these two distinct characters gives this chai a lovely sense of balance.

Tasting Notes & Pairings

As with all chais, the complex character of the blend opens up wonderfully when prepared with warm soy or whole milk. Enjoy it in the evening with gingersnaps or a slice of pumpkin bread.

Brewing tips (general guideline): turn your bag upside down a few times first. Use 1 heaping teaspoon per 8 oz of boiling water (212°F), steep 5–7 minutes, then add warm milk and sweetener to taste.

Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, Rooibos 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.

Our Chai Mix is a delicious blend of Indian chai spices that brews a thick, warm, full-bodied infusion with just the right amount of spiciness. It is naturally caffeine free because there is no tea in this blend.

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, green cardamom pods, allspice, cloves and black pepper.

• Add your favorite black tea, green tea or even coffee to create your own chai.

Tasting Notes & Pairings

Enjoy it as a caffeine-free chai, make a hot chai to warm up on cold winter days, or make it iced for summer. You can't go wrong either way. Try it with milk and honey alongside spiced cookies.

Brewing tips (general guideline): use 1 teaspoon per 8 oz of boiling water (212°F), or simmer with milk, for 5 minutes. Add tea or coffee if you like, and sweeten to taste.

Like every blend at Beantown Tea & Spices, our Indian Chai Spice Mix is a quality loose-leaf blend 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.