The Ultimate Masala Chai with Yorkshire Tea

You can’t visit India without drinking chai. It’s the country’s most popular drink; a milky brew enjoyed throughout the day that’s made with black tea, a blend of spices and often a touch of sugar.

And it’s slightly different wherever you go. The spice blend and exact recipe vary a lot – in fact, each family can have its own recipe that gets handed down. So when our tea buyers head to India to spend time on the farms and estates where the tea we buy is grown, they drink a masala chai that’s unique to that place.

Our Head of Tea Buying and Blending, Suzy Garraghan, said: “I jotted down this recipe from Borsapori Tea Estate in Assam, and modified it to make with our tea bags. In my view it’s the best I’ve come across.”

Masala chai ingredients

If you fancy making your own chai at home, it’s a doddle to find the ingredients. You’ll spot them in the spice aisle of any supermarket – and if you’re lucky enough to have an Asian food shop near you, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

We’d recommend starting with whole spices rather than ground spices, because they keep for longer (around six months) and so their flavours will generally be fresher and punchier.