How to Make the Perfect Sticky Chai At Home

If you read Aveda’s newsletter or blog and wanted to know what Sticky Chai is or how to brew it, you’ve come to the right place. Origin Tea’s Sticky Chai is the perfect complement to your new nutriplenish™ range, providing all the natural goodness of whole spices and coconut nectar all while keeping you glowing this winter.

Just like The Aveda Way of being kind to the environment, our Sticky Chai is made from our ethically managed farms and are Vegan, Gluten free and Dairy Free so you can make your drink exactly the way you like it. Continue reading below to know all about our Sticky Chai and how to make it.

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Origins of Chai and Its Modern Variants

In the western world, the words ’Chai Tea’ are used to describe the spiced milk tea from India. The term ’Chai' is derived from the Chinese term ‘Cha’ and is Hindustani (languages spoken in northwestern India) for tea. This means that the modern term that we’re familiar with is somewhat redundant because it translates to 'tea tea'. The correct term for the spiced tea drink that we commonly refer to is ’Masala Chai' which translates to mixed-spice tea.

Chai Masala was introduced to the western world initially in the 1960s. India was a stop on the popular ‘hippy’ trail that took intrepid travellers from the western world to the Middle East and Asia. Those that arrived in India for spirituality and adventure likely also came across Masala Chai through a ‘Chai Wallah’ or tea vendor.

Its most recent resurgence has seen Chai appear in cafes and coffee houses adopting the recipe into frothed 'chai lattes' and adding it to their menus. Unfortunately, many cafe Chai Latte flavours are derived from syrup and can be excessively sweetened. Luckily, a more authentic Chai can easily be made at home using premium Origin Tea Chai made with high-quality spices. This gives you control over the brewing method, sugar level and milk type.

Let’s Discuss the Dairy First

You can make a really good chai with some simple full cream cow’s milk but if you’re vegan or lactose intolerant, you can enjoy the same milky Chai by using alternative milk.

Soy milk is the classic milk alternative and has a full-bodied creamy taste compared to many other alternatives. It does have a distinct earthy ’soy’ taste which can add depth to your Chai. Nut milks such as cashew or almond are also readily available alternatives. These are slightly less creamy, but their nutty flavours complement the spice of Chai well.

For those with nut allergies, oat and rice milk can be a good option. Each tastes a little like their respective ingredients and have a lighter consistency. If you prefer your Chai on the creamy side, only use rice or oat milk if you have time to brew your Chai in a pot over heat and do so with a higher ratio of milk to water.

Another interesting milk alternative option is coconut milk. Coconut milk designed for drinking (as opposed to cooking) is a nice creamy option but does taste a lot like coconut. If you are a fan of coconut flavour, coconut milk will add an interesting tropical touch to your spicy chai.

How To Brew Sticky Chai

Our Sticky Chai is handcrafted with fine taste and a serene tea experience in mind. A calming mix of spices is blended with the subtle sweetness of coconut and earthy black tea from Sri Lanka.

If you have time for a traditional brew

Step 1 - Add 20g (approx 2 tbs) of Sticky Chai Mix to a brewing pot with 50ml of water and steep for 60 second.

Step 2 - Add 200ml of milk and heat the liquid until it reaches about 68 degrees celcius

Step 3 - Then strain the liquid into a drinking cup using a mesh tea strainer. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

This takes about 3-5 minutes and gives you a very rich tasting Sticky Chai.

Cafe Style

Step 1 - Steep 20g (approx 2 tbs) of Sticky Chai mixture in 50ml of hot water in a jug or chai pot

Step 2 - Leave for 60 seconds, briefly stir, then strain into a glass.

Step 3 - Heat or froth 200ml milk (for a Chai Latte style drink) separately and add to your strained Sticky Chai liquid. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

You can even heat or froth your milk while the chai is steeping, cutting down the overall time to make the drink.

Grab a Sticky Chai Kit here to make things easier.

Tips for Latte Lovers

The milk steamer is your friend if your coffee maker has one as it works well to create silky foam with all milk types and will froth your milk quickly. Alternatively, a hand-held milk frother can also be used to froth heated milk fast. A yummy Sticky Chai Latte ready in less than three minutes.

If your preference is to brew on the stove with our handy chai pot, we would recommend frothing a little bit of heated milk separately by using any of the methods above, or by using an immersion blender, then heaping the froth onto your Chai after you have strained it giving it that perfect foamy top.

Using an immersion blender directly in the brewing pot is not recommended as it could blend the spices.

Enjoy your chai!

There you have it. You are now a chai-wallah/walli (person who makes chai). Grab yourself some Sticky Chai and discover a smooth, silky and creamy drink you’ll fall in love this winter.

If you’re just starting out and all of the above sounds like too much of a hassle, don’t fret. Origin Tea’s Sticky Chai Starter Kit is here to make your choice easier. With our kit, you get everything you need to get started with Sticky chai.