Chai-tea.org Reviews
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Not invented by Starbucks after all, chai is the word for tea across India and most of Asia. A deceptively simple concoction of milk, black tea, spices and sugar, it has a character quite unlike any other beverage and lends itself readily to experimentation. If you're a fan, you make your own chai masala, which is the spice mix you add to the tea. This will most likely include cinnamon and ginger and coriander and other sweet and especially aromatic spices of your choice.
Otherwise, aside from Tazo (owned by Starbucks) there are many versions of chai readily available in tea bags, including Twinings, a common English one available in supermarkets at a reasonable price.
Ideally though, you make your own and this site includes recipes along with a wealth of chai knowledge and experience, including people's happy memories of their first chai, which are on a par with other first-time experiences that last forever.
MMmmmmmm ...
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T N. love it. i used to treat myself to a starbucks soy chai daily until i realized soy doesn't necessarily mean 'no fat'. i do prefer starbucks's chai to, say, peet's - but i also like a bit of spice. i'll have to try out a recipe or two. thanks, chris!
Chris O. You're welcome. If you get an opportunity, ask an Indian. Chai is an everyday drink, and may be nothing like the Starbucks version, it may be spiced or not or have hot or cold milk or be more or less sweet, so it's pretty much similar to "English" tea at one end of the scale, to a hot milkshake at the other. Also it is sometimes made with green tea too though this isn't an Indian thing. See if you can find someone who knows how to make it the way their mom made it in India, where it's just a regular cup of tea rather than a coffee-shop specialty.
T N. I have a couple of Indian friends and so have tried their families' versions...might be too much savory / spice for me :(
Chris O. yes there really is a great range of flavors, and chai without spice is also chai. It is less of an attractive taste to the west and especially in the USA which largely prefers coffee in any case. Chai without spice in my experience is a very strong black tea served with more milk than European tea, often the tea is boiled with milk so that it can be a nice shade of orange without going cold. It can be served without sweetener too, it's much stronger than regular English style tea and perhaps somewhat unpalatable to Americans, who also have a much sweeter tooth than the English. Not all Indian restaurants and cafes serve masala chai and it's probably best to ask before ordering, though of course I always forget. Like some Vietnamese places serve "Vietnamese coffee" as an iced milk drink, while others serve what I regard as the proper thing, which is the hot, black sort dripped into a glass with a half-inch of sweet condensed milk at the bottom. When I forgot to ask and got a coffee milkshake instead, it was OK but disappointing. Same with chai, best to ask.
By the bye, the term "chai tea" is a pleonasm. Remember that and impress your friends.
Another little link:
http://www.igougo.com/journal-j71424-Myanmar-Kawthaung_Knee_Deep_in_Chai.html#1353125
Long link, I mean, small article.