I was fortunate enough to be in Nepal recently and, finding the coffee not to our “PureBean” standard, I took to drinking masala tea instead. A very enjoyable spiced tea brew, made by my Nepalese friends with milk. Quite the discovery for me! Except I return to Australia to discover that I already have masala tea sitting downstairs in our stockroom. We call it chai!

Chai originates from the Indian subcontinent and literally means “tea”. Whilst there is no set recipe for chai, it typically consists of black tea, sweetener such as sugars or honey, and spices. Spices can include ginger, cardamom, fennel, cloves and cinnamon.

PureBean’s supplier of chai follows the traditional Indian chai tea recipes dating over 5,000 years! It is made from black tea and “a secret blend of exotic spices”.

Like black tea, chai can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Chai as tea made just with hot water is a refreshing brew. The increasingly popular chai latte is made with hot steamed milk for a creamier taste. Then there is the iced chai, made with cold milk and topped with ice cream for a special treat.

Back in the office now, and onto chai as my alternative to coffee, I have just placed an order with our supplier. Give us a call if you would like to try some. Enjoy!