Indian chai is the perfect aromatic and warming tea drink to give you a little pick me up. Chai is made by brewing black tea with milk, sugar, and spices. In the Western region of India in Gujarat, chai is made with a chai spice blend. This chai spice blend can have anywhere from three spices to more than five spices. The most common spices in a chai spice blend are cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper. These spices create a warming, soothing effect, and also act as a natural digestive aid.

There are many variations of chai spice blends. Some chai spice blends can have more heat from the extra black pepper or the extra amount of powdered ginger, while other chai spice blends can be more “sweet” with the extra cardamom or cinnamon. Once you know what the proportions are of all these spices, you can create a chai spice formula that works for you. You can create your own family chai spice blend.

Here is a recipe for a chai spice blend from my Mom-in-law Usha.

Usha’s Chai Spice Blend:

Ingredients:

• Cloves powdered 1/2 cup
• Dry ginger powder  1/2 cup
• Cardamom freshly ground 1/2 cup
• Cinnamon powder 1/2 cup
• Black pepper powder 1/4 cup
• Nutmeg powdered  1/8 cup
• Mace spice powdered 1/8 cup  (Mace is the shell of nutmeg that is powdered)

Directions:

• Mix all the spices together to form a chai spice blend.
• Store the chai spice in an airtight container for upto a year.
• To make chai using the chai spice blend, take a look at this link How to brew chai.

Enjoy a hot cup of chai.