Chai

Chai originated in India and is one of the world’s most popular spiced tea drinks. Here you’ll find our classic Chai Supreme, made from organic ingredients black tea, and Chai Wild Rooibos, a naturally caffeine-free variety. Both are based on the same traditional blend of spices, including cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. We flavour our teas with whole spices – not natural flavourings – to allow the ingredients themselves to give the tea its character.

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Chai – a tradition dating back several hundred years

Chai has its roots in the Indian tradition of using spices, where warming spices have long been used in both food and drink. The modern chai enjoyed worldwide today was developed when black tea began to be cultivated in India during the 19th century and was combined with classic spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves. The result was a full-bodied and aromatic drink in which the tea’s own character blends with the natural aroma and flavour of the spices.

Whole spices rather than flavourings

Just as in our other flavoured teas We use whole spices instead of natural flavourings. The spices contribute their own essential oils and natural flavour compounds, which is in keeping with the traditional Indian method of flavouring chai. For us, flavouring is about letting the ingredients themselves create the flavour, not about recreating it with specially produced flavouring ingredients.

Two chai – the same philosophy

Chai Supreme is based on a rich, organic black tea which gives the spices structure and body. Chai Wild Rooibos Instead, it uses rooibos as a base. Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and has a smooth, rounded and slightly sweet character that harmonises well with the same blend of spices. Whichever one you choose, you’ll find the same philosophy: genuine ingredients and traditional flavouring.

How do you make chai?

Chai can be brewed like a normal tea, but is traditionally served with milk. By allowing the tea to simmer gently with milk or a plant-based alternative, the spices become more rounded and the drink more full-bodied. Chai is also excellent without milk, as this allows the various nuances of the spices to come through more clearly.

Chai at In the Mood for Tea

For us, chai is more than just a blend of spices. It is an example of how traditional ingredients can complement a high-quality tea without masking its origins. That is why we use whole spices, select base teas with a distinct character and allow each ingredient to contribute its own natural flavour. It is the same philosophy that characterises our entire range – from black tea and rooibos to our other flavoured teas.