Chai - the trendy cuppa… with humble origins

Masala chai, or sometimes sold as chai latte, has grown popular worldwide. But did you know that it’s much more than a café trend? In fact, it’s an ancient brew, now quietly helping us to stay healthy 🫖☕

But back then, with it’s Ayurveda blue-print, tea made from tender tea leaves with added spices was used for occasional healing benefits, rather than as a daily drink.

Black tea as we now know it eventually came from China to India during the British Raj and then spread globally as a daily drink. In India, milk, sugar and spices were added, not just for taste but to aid digestion and boost immunity.

While tea has a complex past from trade politics, colonial plantations and Caribbean sugar, modern ethics and fair-trade has improved tea cultivation, production and compensation to growers.

Today masala chai is a staple enjoyed in cafés and tea shops, or sold loose or in bags, and typically spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; each playing a role in keeping us healthy.

https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/blog/steeped-in-history-tea-drinking-in-britain/