{"id":5167,"date":"2022-08-19T11:40:11","date_gmt":"2022-08-19T03:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alienrecipes.com\/?p=5167"},"modified":"2022-12-22T15:05:01","modified_gmt":"2022-12-22T07:05:01","slug":"masala-chai-vs-chai-everything-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alienrecipes.com\/masala-chai-vs-chai-everything-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Masala Chai Vs Chai: Everything You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We’ve all heard of chai tea and cardamom tea due to their popularity in mass media. However, where do these well-known beverages fit into Indian culture?\u00a0Masala chai vs chai; what is the difference? The major distinction between these two eerily similar drinks is the ‘masala’ part. This Indian term translates to spices and refers to the presence of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, or other assorted spices in tea.\u00a0This article explores everything you can know about\u00a0masala chai vs chai, including their similarities, differences, and recipes. So keep reading!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chai vs masala chai: Are they similar?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Chai and masala chai are both different varieties of tea. So one of the main ingredients is tea leaves. They also have milk which gives the drinks their dense and somewhat thick texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The masala chai vs chai comparison lies in the ingredients added after this point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two drinks taste quite different but share a name given their similar origin. Both chai and tea are words\u00a0derived from the Chinese term \u8336\u00a0(cha). Countries that traded tea leaves with China via land ended up calling the drink ‘chai’ while those who did so via sea ended up calling it ‘tea.’\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Another fun fact is that \u201cchai\u201d and \u201ctea\u201d actually derive from the same word! Chinese \u8336 (cha) became \u201cchai\u201d in languages that got their tea via land routes, and \u201ctea\/te\u201d in languages that got their tea via sea routes. Some dialects of British English also use \u201ccha\u201d for tea<\/p>— Claire (@ClaireEG) November 22, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>