No beverage can beat the refreshing taste of chai. Coming from the Indian cuisine, chai is known to be a healing ayurvedic beverage. You must know that chai comes in a number of different categories that are differentiated according to their taste and colour. In this article, our main focus will be on Chaga vs Masala chai. Here’s everything you need to know about choosing between them.
Chaga Vs Masala Chai
Chaga tea is made with powdered chaga mushrooms while masala chai uses a blend of spices like clove, garlic, cinnamon, and cardamom. Both drinks are popular in India as well as in Europe and the Americas. They’re delicious. Keep reading for a chaga vs masala chai comparison.
What is Chaga chai tea?
Chaga chai is made with wild chaga mushrooms, dandelion root, chicory, and adaptogenic astragalus root. It’s topped off with a touch of cocoa nibs which gives the drink a decadent flavor.
What is masala chai?
Masala chai refers to a wide mix of different teas including cinnamon tea, cardamom, tea, etc. Some of the most popular spices added to tea in India include:
- Black pepper
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Clove
- Ginger
One or more of these spices are added to black tea to make masala chai. You can also buy masala tea spice mixes at an Indian grocery store online.
Read our article on masala chai vs chai for more information about what makes this kind of tea special.
Why is it called masala chai?
Masala chai is the South Asian term for spiced tea.
History
Masala chai’s origins are quite conflicted. Even so, there are legends tracing it back to an Indian king who was particularly interested in Ayurveda (alternative medicine). It is said that he ordered his servants to make a beverage using spices said to have healing properties.
Given that the spices typically used in an Indian spiced tea are rich in antioxidants, promote weight loss, fight off bacteria, and improve several health problems, this story tracks.
Chaga chai has its roots in Eastern Europe since the mushrooms used to make it are primarily found on the trunks of birch trees in the Northern hemisphere.
Taste and smell
Masala chai’s smell depends almost entirely on the spice you use in it. Tea leaves don’t have a very strong smell so they’re overpowered easily. Your tea will smell like cardamom if you use that and of cinnamon if you use that.
Chaga mushrooms have a somewhat earthy flavor with a slight bitterness. It also contains a naturally occuring form of vanillin which is found in vanilla beans. All of these flavors show up in a cup of chaga mushroom tea.
Popularity
According to Registered Dietitian Shahzadi Devje, “Masala chai is the quintessential Pakistani/Indian hot brew”.
Masala chai is a huge part of South Asian culture. It also has global acclaim where popular western cafes often serve different varieties of masala chai.
Chaga chai and the mushrooms used to make it were popular during WW2 given their health benefits (discussed further below). It’s drunk almost all over the world today.
Nutrition
Spices don’t have a lot of calories. The only calorie-rich ingredients in tea are dairy products like milk and sweeteners like sugar. So you can easily make the dish as nutritious as you want by controlling the calorie count.
Two tsp of raw chaga chunks have around 30 calories which, honestly, isn’t a lot. It’s more than the spices used in masala chai which have around a calorie per tsp but it is not high enough to be called unhealthy. The milk used in most recipes also adds to the calorie count.
Health benefits of masala chai
The health benefits of masala chai depend on the spices used in it. However, there are some common perks. For instance, a lot of the spices are high in antioxidants. Let’s look at specifics though.
Cardamom is good for lowering blood pressure and may contain cancer-fighting compounds. It can also protect from chronic diseases due to its anti-inflammatory effects.
Cinnamon also has anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, it can cut the risk of heart disease and improve sensitivity to insulin which is great for diabetic patients.
Why is chaga tea good for you?
Let’s look at chaga chai tea benefits. According to WebMD, this tea prevents and fights cancer, boosts immune systems, reduces inflammation, protects your liver, and maintains intestinal health.
About The Recipes
Ingredients
You can’t decide between chaga vs masala chai without knowing what goes into each kind of tea. So let’s take a look.
| Chaga Chai | Masala Chai |
| Black tea leaves | Black tea leaves |
| Water | Water |
| Cardamom + Cloves | A spice mix of your choice |
| Chaga mushroom powder | Sugar (optional) |
| Milk | Milk (optional) |
Methods of preparation
Chaga chai
Combine all your ingredients and add them to a cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil steep for around 6 minutes. Add in your milk and steep for another 6 minutes on medium heat. Add in sweetener if you want and strain through a sieve.
Here’s a video showing how to make chaga chai.
Masala chai
Boil around a cup of water and add your spice mix. Then add in loose tea leaves and steep for a few minutes. Drain out the solid spices and enjoy your drink.
Here is a video demonstration of how to make authentic masala chai.
Texture
Chaga is consumed by being dried out and turned into a powder so it can be added to herbal teas. So it has a fine almost sand-like texture. Once mixed into your tea, the residual granules are strained out of the drink to ensure its smooth texture.
Masala chai is quite similar in this sense. It also has a smooth watery texture.
Serving suggestions
Either chai is best served with a light biscuit or cake. Avoid cold or heavy desserts like ice cream and rich fondue cakes. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of your tea once it is ready to serve.
Preservation techniques
Place your tea in a microwave for up to 30 minutes. When you’re ready to serve, remove the milk skin and heat it in your saucepan once since chai is best enjoyed while it is hot.
We hope you enjoyed reading this interesting comparison between chaga and masala chai. If you’re a chai lover, checkout our other comparison blog article on karak chai vs masala chai.
Thanks for reading!
Conclusion
- Chaga chai is made with dried up mushrooms.
- Masala chai is made with a spice mix.
- Masala chai means spiced tea.
- Masala chai comes from India while Chaga chai originated in Eastern Europe.
- Masala chai’s smell depends entirely on your spice mix; chaga chai has a unique earthy taste.
- Both drinks are popular in India and worldwide.
- Chaga chai has more calories than masala chai because of the addition of mushrooms and milk.
- Both drinks have anti-inflammatory properties and are rich in antioxidants.
- The main difference in the two drinks are the chaga mushrooms and spice mix.
- The methods of preparation have been shared in this article.
- Both drinks are relatively smooth and watery.
- Serve your chai with a light snack.
- Place your tea in a heated space for up to 30 minutes to keep it fresh.
