The term “chai” the Hindi word for “tea”. It was derived from “cha”, which is the Chinese name for “tea”. This article will explain what is chai tea, what are its health benefits, and how to make it properly.
What is Chai tea?
Chai tea is a tea known for its fragrant aroma and sweet or spicy taste. It is a mix of black tea leaves, different spices, milk, and sweetener (optional). Most widespread spices to add are pepper, cardamom, fennel, cinnamon, and cloves. It may also include coriander or nutmeg, but they are less common to use. Apart from regular tea that is made using water, chai tea is traditionally brewed with both water and milk. It is also sweeter that other teas. To sweeten chai, people mainly use white sugar or unrefined cane sugar.
Chai tea health benefits
1. It may reduce blood sugar levels. Both ginger and cinnamon in chai tea may positively affect blood sugar levels. For example, researches show that cinnamon can reduce insulin resistance and fasting blood sugar levels by 10–28%. Lower insulin resistance makes it a lot easier to use insulin to transfer sugar from blood and to cells. It may help lower blood sugar levels. Another study was about giving 2 grams of ginger powder every day to people with type 2 diabetes. That study proved that it lowers their blood sugar levels by nearly 12%.
2. It can promote heart health. Studies on animals showed that cinnamon in chai can lower blood pressure. Cinnamon has also been shown to reduce the levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides by nearly 30%. It is enough to consume 120 mg per day to get positive effects.
Black tea which is used to make chai tea may contribute to lower blood cholesterol levels as well. Drinking 3 cups of black tea daily is linked to an 11% lower risk of heart diseases.
3. It can improve digestion. Chai tea contains cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, and cloves. All of these have antibacterial properties that help prevent digestive issues caused by bacterial infections. Several animal studies showed that black pepper may increase levels of digestive enzymes needed to properly break down foods.
How to make Chai tea
- Prepare the ingredients: 1-inch piece fresh ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 5 whole cloves, 3 cardamom pods, 3 cups cold water, 5 grams black tea, 1 cup whole milk, sugar (optional).
- Mix tea leaves, ginger, cinnamon, peppercorns, whole cloves, and cardamom in saucepan and lightly crush them.
- Add 3 cups water and boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pan, and brew for up to 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add milk and sugar. Bring tea just to simmer over high heat. Strain chai into teapot and serve hot.
Sense Asia’s collection of the Vietnamese teas includes Cinnamon Chai - a combination of cinnamon, spicy ginger and safflower. We hermetically pack all of our teas with minimum delay after receiving from the farms in Vietnam. We use 100% natural ingredients and only whole leaves to maintain all the natural health benefits.
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