Chai Tea
Discovered by many in recent history, chai is actually an ancient beverage with origins dating as far back as five thousand years. Known and loved for its bold and distinctive taste, the recipes for chai are as varied as the families who create them. Chai is a generic term in India meaning tea, and the delicious beverage traces its origins to India, Pakistan, Tibet and Nepal. The most common variety of chai is Masalas, created from some traditional basic ingredients that typically include black tea, milk, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and fennel. Vanilla, chocolate and licorice are also favored by many when brewing chai.
Many health benefits are attributed to Masalas Chai as well, including enhancing digestion, reduced risk of diabetes, lowering blood pressure and a calming effect. Each of the ingredients used has its own particular health benefit. For example, cinnamon, a standard ingredient in chai, is known to aid in lowering blood pressure and also hinders yeast and bacterial growth. Cardamom aids in the digestive process as well as being an anti-inflammatory and can help in relieving asthma symptoms. Each of the traditional ingredients has a different health benefit, so a bit of research into your favored additives could result in not only a delicious cup of chai, but a sense of well-being and revitalization of energy and spirit. Kashmiri Chai is a green tea chai that originated in China. Gunpowder tea, as it is called in English, was first created during the Tang Dynasty in the seventh through tenth centuries. For Kashmiri Chai, the tea leaves are individually rolled to form little pellets and is typically prepared with a delicious mix of almonds, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper and occasionally saffron. As with Masalas Chai, there are a wide range of health benefits associated with this soothing beverage.
The history of tea is a long one dating back to ancient India. The legends say that chai was the invention of a king in the royal courts of India in ancient times, but the history can be traced to healing methods practiced by the Hindus of millennia past. They used a type of natural healing and medicine called ayurveda, incorporating the spices that contain healing properties into the tea as part of a total system of healing arts. Not to be confused with “herbal tea,” true tea comes from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, where the commonly called herbal tea is a mixture of dried flowers, fruit, plants and herbs. Although herbal tea is not truly tea, it can be mixed with green or black tea to create exotic and flavorful beverages.
Tea is a potent antioxidant and is known to fight numerous types of cancer and helps in reducing cholesterol and blood pressure. Combined with ingredients such as ginger, which helps prevent colds and flu, it is a powerful wellness tool. Chai remains a favorite beverage and is gaining popularity with many who enjoy the delicious taste and the amazing health benefits. It is not only served in trendy coffee houses, but it is now available in popular restaurant chains.
