Hi, I’m an Indian, living in the UK, and I work in specialty coffee. My days are living and breathing and (of course drinking) coffee and my mornings? Obsessing over chai.
At first glance, chai and specialty coffee seem like worlds apart. One is chaotic, loud, and full of heart; the other precise, measured, and quietly reliable. But the more I work with coffee, the more I realise chai and coffee share the same soul, just in different languages.
In India, chai isn’t just a drink, it’s a ritual, a social glue, a mood-lifter. Someone drops by? Chai is the first thing you offer no matter what time of the day (or night) it is. Feeling sh*t? Chai. Feeling great? Definitely chai. It’s hospitality, comfort, and conversation all rolled into one steaming cup. Chai is synonymous with home.
Chai is handcrafted, not machine-made. Every cup involves spontaneity and intuition. Every family, every neighbourhood has its own version. Each cup tells a story. And there is no “wrong” method and no wrong answer. It is more about palate and preference.
Each leaf comes from a producer whose livelihood depends on it. Each blend carries tradition. It is a living network of stories, and culture, much like coffee - less about the final cup, more about the journey, the process and the stories within it.
Lesser-Known Chai Truths You Probably Didn’t Know
As an Indian living abroad, the questions and views about Chai I often get are -
“What’s the big deal about chai?”
“Chai is too spicy or sweet or milky.”
“Chai is not my thing.”
So in coffee terms, it’s essentially like saying “I don’t like coffee because lattes are too milky”!
Let me clear up some myths.
- First of all, Chai and Tea are one and the same thing. Chai simply means “tea” in Hindi. However, outside India, Chai is usually misunderstood as a finished product with specific characteristics rather than an ingredient. Chai is the approach. Your method, skill, and love bring it to life.
- What we call Masala Chai (Masala meaning spiced) in India is essentially Chai in the UK.
- Chai doesn’t have to be sweet. Some like it bitter, some light, some super sweet. Sugar is optional.
- Chai isn’t always milky. Darjeeling is exquisite black; Assam can handle milk beautifully. Milk is a choice, not a rule.
- Not all chai is spiced. Masala chai is just one version. Ginger-only, cardamom-only, or plain black are all chai too.
Basically, chai is everyone’s cup of tea, literally! Everyone gets a say.
Origin and Processing: The Same Things Matter
So when a tea person - who doesn't know much about specialty coffee - asks me how to brew coffee, the first thing I ask them is what the coffee is and where it comes from, exactly like how they would think about tea.
Here’s where chai and specialty coffee nerds unite. The flavour and how you brew it come from where it’s from and how it’s processed
- Darjeeling: delicate, floral, and light - best black, like a single-origin filter coffee where fruity notes shine.
- Assam: strong, malty, and bold - perfect with milk, like an espresso from Brazil.
Tea processing in India is a highly skilled, hands-on craft shaped by experience, seasonality, and close attention to the leaf. It begins with selective plucking, where trained workers choose only the youngest leaves and buds. From there, tea makers guide the leaf through withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying, each stage requiring careful judgement rather than fixed timings. Decisions are made by reading the leaf’s look and feel, often adjusting in response to weather and harvest conditions.
Assam teas are typically processed to emphasise body, maltiness, and depth, while Darjeeling teas are handled more delicately to preserve floral, bright, and layered flavours, especially across different seasonal flushes.
Land, climate, and processing method decide how you enjoy your drink be it chai or coffee. Understanding origin makes every cup intentional.
Both tea and coffee are crafted by skilled hands and sensory judgement, and in both cases, knowing the story behind the crop turns every cup into a thoughtful experience. Both demand skill, care, and respect for the people behind every leaf or bean. Both remind me why origin, culture, sustainability, and skill matter.
My Stovetop Assam Chai Recipe
Here’s how I make Assam Masala Chai on the stovetop/hob
Recipe time: 8 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 cups):
- 2 tsp Assam loose leaf tea
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk (optional)
- Sugar to taste (optional)
- 1–2 slices fresh grated ginger (optional)
- ½ a stick of cinnamon
- 2 cardamoms
Method:
- Bring water (and ginger, if using) to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Add the Assam tea and simmer gently until deep amber.
- Add milk if you like, and let it simmer until it turns rust colour
- Add the cinnamon and cardamom while it simmers
- Strain into cups, sweeten if desired, and sip slowly.
Pro tip: Assam can handle milk beautifully, but try it black to taste the full malty flavour straight from the leaf.
Prana Chai recipe on the stovetop
Recipe time: 6-8 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 cups):
- 4 tsp heaped with Prana Chai
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk (optional)
- Sugar to taste (optional)
Method:
- Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Add the Prana Chai and simmer gently until deep amber.
- Add milk if you like, and let it simmer until it turns rust colour
- Strain into cups, sweeten if desired, and sip slowly.
Pro tips:
- Keep the heat to a simmer to prevent the spices and honey from scorching.
- The longer it simmers on the stove, the stronger the flavour. The stronger the better!
- The colour should be caramel or golden brown and not a light faded brown or look or taste like what I call a chai-flavoured milk.
Next up, we’ll dive into how quality shows up in tea, the tea-growing regions of India, and how tea quality is actually decided. Watch this space for more!
