A Chai tea mix recipe refers the dry ingredients for making chai tea. Chai tea mix usually includes a strong black tea and spices, but most commercially prepared chai tea mixes include powdered milk and sweetener for speed and convenience. With these mixes, the only ingredient to be added is hot water.
Chai tea mix recipes have a tendency to differ practically from person to person because historically there wasn’t a standardized recipe for Chai tea. Each chai tea mix recipe has a unique blend of ingredients suited to the taste of the individual, the only true requirement being black tea, milk and spices. As with many aspects of using a chai tea mix recipe, even the type of tea used is also up for interpretation with some substituting herbal infusions like rooibos or yerba mate for black tea. Many spices and flavorings are typically used in chai tea mixes, but the most important among these is cardamom, as it is key in giving chai tea its characteristic flavor. Spicing agents like black peppercorns or ginger are also integral to the recipe. There is much debate about the proper ratio of milk to be used, but most estimates call for equal parts milk and water.
In the past, most chai tea was painstakingly made at home of served in a local café. In the last twenty years, the popularity of the beverage has spawned a multitude of mixes to be made at home as well as readymade chai tea drinks available in practically every modern supermarket and coffee shop.
