Hot and Spicy: The Chai Latte
The chai latte is hot, milky, fragrant, gently spicy, and a popular drink. It’s available in cafes everywhere. Chai Latte is full of warmth, aromatic flavour, and some health benefits. It’s also one of the most popular white teas.
Interestingly, even though it’s served in coffee shops and named after the latte, it contains no coffee whatsoever.
It’s very similar to a Masala Chai, except the warm milk is frothed to make that foamy top we love about lattes. It is the perfect thing to sip with a good book.
How to make Chai Latte?
Boil water in a pan mixed with the spices like cloves, cardamom, Tulsi leaves, etc. Add sugar to taste. Put tea leaves and 1 tbsp. vanilla extract and let the mixture boil. When it gets boiled, remove the pan from the heat. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain the tea and discard the spices. In a different container, simmer the milk on medium heat. Turn off heat and froth the milk using a hand blender. Now it is almost ready to serve.
To each mug, pour ¾ cup chai and ½ cup warm milk, adjusting amounts according to preference. Top off each mug with milk foam and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and cardamom.
Variations – Modern Chai Latte
The modern chai latte appeals to many connoisseurs. As each shop uses a somewhat different recipe, defined variations are less common. Amendments are generally made to the chai mixture by changing the type or volume of spices used.
For example, you can add amaretto to make a hot chai cocktail or pour the ingredients over ice instead, and you have a milkshake or frappé-like beverage.
Do you know what’s Dirty Chai Latte? It might be “dirty”, but it is quite popular. The “dirty chai latte” is made by adding a shot of espresso to a chai latte. It’s believed that it was created by accident in London in the 1990s.
What is the future of the chai latte?
Chai latte isn’t going anywhere soon. They will continue to rise in popularity, and probably the cafes will start creating their own recipes.
However, chai latte is not a particularly healthy drink. Since many cafes, particularly chains, make them with a lot of sugar or syrup that has a high sugar level, they can be quite unhealthy. With the emerging consumer focus on health and wellness, we may see more and more chai lattes that are made with less sugar and completely different flavours.
In a world where health and wellbeing are becoming a consumer priority, what will happen to the popularity of chai lattes? Only time will tell. For those of you who have not tried a chai latte and are curious about the flavour, maybe it’s time to visit your local cafe. Or you may try the recipe above. Whatever suits you!
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