Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga
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The basics: Chai is a spiced milk-tea drink that has skyrocketed in popularity over the past couple of years. It generally consists of a rich black tea, milk, sugar or honey and a mixture of unique spices.
The spices, usually a combination of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and pepper, are what make this tea drink special.
The drink is typically served hot, although in the United States it is enjoyed just as much chilled over ice.
In India, the drink is sold in trains, bus stations or at street vendors called chai wallahs. It traditionally comes in clay cups and is enjoyed throughout the day. Chai has a spicy, sweet flavor.
Selecting: Chai is time-consuming to prepare from scratch, but today's powders and liquid concentrates make it a much easier drink to enjoy. These instant chais require just the addition of water or milk. The mixture can then be steamed or poured over ice.
New drinks have been developed, such as mocha or cocoa chai and chai milk shakes and smoothies.
Chai with soy milk has also gained in popularity and there's even a decaffeinated chai concentrate on the market.
The demand for green tea chai mixtures has also grown recently.
Storing: Dry powder concentrates can be kept on the shelf for several months, but liquid concentrates should be refrigerated after opening and will keep for a couple of weeks.
Where to buy: Chai powders and concentrates can be found in most supermarkets or health and specialty food stores. A 32-ounce size carton of liquid concentrate generally runs $3 to $4.
a free-lance food writer. Contact her
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