Chai Pilgrimage

While traveling in India we collected discarded matchboxes on the roads. There are so many, and it’s sorta like trading cards among travelers. These, along with the countless, amazing retro designs from India’s past (recorded in the beautiful book, LIGHT ON INDIA by Warren Dotz), inspired me to create these masala chai spice icons. I added a page here with this art, a description of each spice and tips for using it in chai.

We thought it would be fun to send an archival art print to one of you fellow chai lovers. If you’d like be included in the give-away drawing, share YOUR favorite masala chai spice(s) you like to use in a comment. We’ll draw a name February 21st and mail it off to the lucky winner. After the drawing, this print will be available in my shop. I hope you enjoy it!

There are many factors to consider when selecting masala chai spices.  Earlier we discussed how the Gunas, or qualities, that are inherent in the spices determine the effect that it will have on our being.  But there is another level of quality that is paramount when we embark on making a deliciously healthy cup of chai – good quality.  As the vendors in India often touted, “cheapesht and besht!”

When possible, choose the highest quality, freshest, organic, whole spices that are available to you.  From an Ayurvedic standpoint, high quality in a spice means that it full of Prana, or life force.  If we use Prana-full spices, our chai will come alive, and if we use old, stale, powdered, dead spices, the end result will reflect this.

Within a plant, Prana is the living intelligence that is transferred to our body upon ingestion and digestion.  This botanical intelligence is what communicates to our cellular intelligence how to go about healing itself.  To protect the life force of the spices, it is important to keep the spice in tact, in its whole form, until we are ready to place it into the simmering water that will extract its Prana.  The easiest way to do this is by purchasing whole spices instead of powder: fresh ginger root, whole cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, etc.  When we use spices that have been pulverized on the other side of the world months or years ago and then sit on the shelf for just as long, the Prana, and with it the flavor and healing potential, has escaped by the process of oxidation.  For this reason it is also beneficial to store spices in airtight glass, porcelain or tin containers, preferably in a relatively cool, dark location in your kitchen.

It may seem like a lot of trouble to crush your own spices, but it really takes only a few minutes.  The best tools to have are a mortar and pestle, a coffee/spice grinder and a cheese grater.  Indian chai wallahs will often just use a rock to smash the spices.  We have heard of saddhus that will simply crush the spices in their teeth, but for hygiene reasons, we do not recommend this. Personally, we use a cheese grater for the ginger, the electric coffee grinder for the cardamom (which is very hard) and a mortar and pestle for everything else.

Another benefit to processing the spices manually is that your own energy, or Prana, is infused into the spices as you crush them.  This is where chai making becomes alchemical and you can transmute your chai into a golden prayer for your friends and family.

Traditional masala chai spices assist in increasing the body’s Prana in another way.  Ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and other chai spices support the function of the lungs, thereby allowing you to absorb more elemental air Prana through the breath.  In addition, almost all of the spices are digestives that help the body to assimilate nutritive Prana from food.  And many of the heating chai spices act to burn up toxins in the body, thus clearing away unwanted sludge that impedes the flow of healing Prana through the channels of the body.

According to the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, pure cow’s milk is nectar.  It is complete to nourish and strengthen the body and is considered sattvic, promoting peace in the mind.  It helps induce sound sleep, fortifies the nervous system, provides strength and mass, and is a rich source of protein and essential minerals and vitamins.  It is no wonder that Hindus consider the cow the most sacred of animals.

Goshala (cow sanctuary) at NKB Ashram in Vrindavan

In India, one’s relationship with the cow is quite different.  The cow, kind of like the dog in the West, is considered part of the family.  In semi-urban areas in India where outdoor space is limited, we met cows that had their own room as part of the house.  The cows are milked each day, and for those without a cow, fresh milk is delivered, usually by bicycle.  The milk is then boiled before use to purify it and make it more digestible.  To further enhance digestibility, it is often watered down with warming spices added, thus masala chai.

Milk delivery man cycling through Durbur Square in Bhaktapur, Nepal

Neighbors in Bhaktapur who provided our milk

Cow caretaker in Chitrakoot, India

There are many factors to consider when choosing which kind of milk to use in your chai.  When possible, it is preferable to buy milk that is certified organic or from a small dairy farm.  The certification guarantees that it is free of added hormones, antibiotics and chemicals, and smaller farms are more likely to provide more humane living conditions and better diet, compared to factory-farmed cows.

Most store-bought milk is put through two processes that can compromise its quality, taste and digestibility – pasteurization and homogenization.  Pasteurized milk is heated at a controlled temperature over a specific period of time to slow the growth of harmful microorganisms, thus extending its shelf life.  Some research suggests that low heat pasteurization alters the protein molecules in such a way that it makes it difficult for digestive enzymes to do their work.  This is different from boiling milk, which can break down the proteins completely, thus aiding digestion.  Homogenization then reduces the milk fat into smaller, more uniform sizes, so that the oily cream does not separate and float on top over the watery portion of milk.  Some researchers believe that these smaller fat molecules regroup into a sort of capsule, rendering them indigestible by the body.

Our neighbors’ cows in New Mexico, USA

We feel ourselves fortunate to have access to pure, raw, fresh cows’ milk, just like we drank in India and Nepal.  It is our liquid, white gold.  It is milked the same day we pick it up, and has the seal of freshness, a layer of thick cream, floating on top.  Unfortunately however, in our country, pure milk rarely exists any more.  In fact, in many states it is not even legal to sell.  There is an ongoing controversy of whether raw, un-pasteurized milk is safe to consume because of the possibility of bacterial and viral contaminants.  On the other side, are raw milk advocates, who question whether the legal, pasteurized, hormone and antibiotic laden, homogenized milk (that doesn’t even taste like milk) is truly safe for human consumption.

Ultimately, like anything else, all we can do is to educate ourselves and choose what we feel is best for our family.  We choose to drink the pure contraband milk, homogenize it by using the low-tech method of shaking the bottle before use, and bring it to a momentary boil while preparing masala chai.

Goat’s milk is not just an alternative to cows milk, but stands alone as a tasty and nutritious choice for chai.  The first few years that I made masala chai, I used nothing else.  It contains comparable levels of calcium and protein compared to cows milk, and many people who have sensitivity to cows milk find goats milk easier to digest.  Goats milk is naturally homogenized, meaning that separation of fat does not occur like cows milk.

Benares goat

Water Buffalo milk is extremely difficult to obtain in North America, but is quite common in India, and is ideal for making masala chai.  One of our best-loved chais was the rich, creamy buffalo milk chai served in a clay cup in Benares.  Buffalo milk provides more calcium and other minerals, and more protein, while having less cholesterol compared to cow’s milk.

Water Buffalo on the banks of the Ganga in Benares

Soy, Rice, Almond, Hemp and other nut, seed, grain and legume milks offer an alternative for those who cannot, or choose not to, consume mammal milk.  The nutritional content varies with the plant used, and many are fortified with vitamins and minerals.  Often other ingredients like thickeners, sweeteners and flavorings are added, so if you are not making your own, it is a good idea to read the label to know exactly what you are drinking.  When making masala chai, know that most plant-based milks are thinner than full-fat animal milks, so when using a recipe, it is not an equal substitution.  Again, choosing organically grown foods is healthier for your body and the planet.

Almond Milk Recipe

Soak 1cup of raw almonds in a bowl overnight with enough water to cover almonds.  Cover bowl.

Drain and rinse almonds in the morning.

Add 3 cups of water and blend together in blender.

Strain almond ‘milk’ into a glass mason-type jar by pouring through a nut milk bag (can also be found at your local health food store)

Cover tightly with lid and keep in refrigerator or use immediately for chai.

Goshala in Citrakoot (above and below)

Sweet is a taste that evokes a feeling of nurturing and love. It is interesting to know that the Sanskrit word for sweet, madhu, also means delicious, pleasant, charming and delightful.  Although many tea authorities think that sugar defiles the pure taste of tea, those who make masala chai know that it is a necessary ingredient to bring out the flavor of the spices.  And as far as tastes go, initiating each day with a sweet flavor on the palate, rather than the bitter taste of plain tea, invites a sweetness of experience throughout the day.

Nowadays, there are many options available when choosing your masala chai sweetener.  This is not an exhaustive list, but represents some of the commonly used tea sweeteners in the West.

Refined Cane Sugar – a.k.a. “the white stuff,” is by far the world’s most popular tea sweetener.  The great thing about sugar is that it draws out the flavors of the spices without adding any taste of its own. Although refined sugar is as white as new fallen snow, it is not as sattvic, or divinely pure, as it appears. The unfortunate consequence of the refining process is that virtually everything except highly concentrated sucrose has been stripped away.  Because there is nothing for the body to break down, the sugar immediately enters the blood steam, sending blood sugar levels soaring, typically followed by a sugar crash and burn.  This effect can be easily observed in a child’s temperament after they have eaten some sugary sweet candy.  Overuse is associated with many disorders including hyperactivity, depression, obesity, diabetes, compromised immunity and tooth decay, to name a few.  It is very addictive, so use in moderation and with caution.

Turbinado – Although it is sometimes marketed as a “raw” sugar, there is not much difference between this and the white stuff.  It does retain a trace amount of molasses, giving it its light brown color, but it is not as wholesome as evaporated cane juice, which preserves its molasses and intrinsic nutritional content. Turbinado is produced by taking the crystals from the evaporated juice and spinning them in a centrifuge, or turbine, hence the name turbinado.

Evaporated cane juice – This is the masala chai sweetener we use most often.  Sold under the name Sucanat (sugar cane natural), it is very similar to Indian jaggery.  It is created by extracting the juice from raw cane, heating it to reduce it to a syrup, then stirring it as it dries into dark brown granules.  It still retains its molasses flavor, color and, most importantly, its nutritional integrity, including minerals that naturally help to metabolize the carbohydrates.  Because it breaks down slower in the body, the blood sugar levels remain more stable, with less of the associated emotional roller coaster ride.  It does add some molasses flavor to your chai, but also provides a dark color, giving you a rich, brown chai without having to use as much tea.  This makes it the perfect sweetener for a “chai-less” masala chai, a sweet masala milk without tea leaves.

Honey – Honey has been used for millennia in Ayurveda and other natural healing traditions as a powerful medicinal.  It is utilized to treat cough, sore throat, asthma, bronchitis and ulcer.  Its antiseptic and antibacterial properties make it an indispensable external medicine for burns, wounds and staph infections.  Taken in conjunction with Ayurvedic herbal formulations, it acts as a vehicle to deliver the botanical medicinal properties deeply into the tissues.  It can do all this and sweeten your tea too!  When using honey as a chai sweetener, it should be added at the very end after it has been removed from the heat. Ayurveda teaches that raw, uncooked honey is a healing nectar, but if heated, it transforms and becomes a sticky, toxic substance that clogs the body’s channels. Used in chai, it does add a distinctive honey flavor, which varies depending on the variety of flowers from which the bees collected the pollen.

Maple Syrup – Although uncommon in India, and relatively expensive, pure maple syrup is our favorite masala chai sweetener.  It is produced primarily in Canada and also in the U.S.A.  Maple trees are tapped each year, the sap collected and boiled down into a concentrated syrup.  It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup.  A natural sweetener with only the water removed, it contains manganese, zinc, other trace minerals and B vitamins. It does add a maple flavor to the chai, but oh, it is so delicious.

Agave nectar – Agave nectar is produced from a large, spiky succulent plant found in Mexico. The aquamiel, or “honey water,” as it is called, is the same liquid that is distilled to produce the alcoholic drink tequila. In recent years, it has become a popular substitute for sugar or honey. It obtains its sweetness from fructose, and therefore has a lower glycemic index than sugar or honey. It is sweeter than honey and has a thinner consistency, making it easy to squeeze out of a bottle. The lighter grades of agave nectar have a neutral flavor, so will not alter the taste of your masala chai.

It’s nice to experiment with sweeteners and how they combine with different varieties of teas and spices. What is your preference for sweetening your masala chai?

English: Cinnamon

Botanical: Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Sanskrit: Tvak

Hindi/Nepali: Dalchini

Cinnamon is called tvak in Sanskrit, which literally means “skin,” because it is obtained by peeling off the sweet inner bark, or skin, of the tree. Like many other chai spices, cinnamon’s warming nature aids digestion and is traditionally used for a variety of stomach and intestinal imbalances such as indigestion, nausea, gas, vomiting and diarrhea. As a home remedy, it can be made into a tea or added to food to improve circulation, thus warming cold hands and feet and relieving a general feeling of coldness. It can also alleviate menstrual pain, abdominal cramping and muscle spasms. The oil is used for toothache and dental infections.

Cinnamon warms the internal body, and is used medicinally in Ayurveda as a tonic for the organs and to increase vitality. It warms the kidneys, strengthens the adrenals and the heart and purifies the blood. Acting as an expectorant on the lungs, it is useful for coughs, congestion and asthma. Cinnamon is considered an aphrodisiac and is indicated for male sexual debility.

When adding cinnamon to chai, it is better to use the stick rather than the powder. This will give your chai a richer taste as well as preventing your chai from becoming “muddy” from fine cinnamon powder that does not thoroughly strain out. The flavor of cinnamon can be overpowering and easily dominate a masala chai if too much is used. Using just a little as an accent adds a wonderfully sweet taste.

English: Cardamom

Botanical: Elettaria cardamomum

Sanskrit: Ela

Hindi: Elaichi

Nepali : Alaichi

Cardamom is equal in standing to ginger as a classic masala chai spice. In fact, if you use only these two spices in your chai, you can create a tasty, well-balanced brew. Medicinally, it is used to improve one’s taste sensation. Added to your masala, it can open your taste buds, allowing you to truly appreciate a yummy batch of chai. It also counteracts the mucus-forming properties of dairy, making it a healthy supplement to a milky chai. It has the additional benefit of freshening the breath.

For the lungs, cardamom is useful for those suffering from asthma, breathlessness or bronchitis. It is used to alleviate colds and cough and as an expectorant to expel phlegm. Cardamom is also indicated as an herbal remedy for many symptoms of digestive upset including indigestion, nausea, vomiting, belching, flatulence, bloating, colic and acid reflux.

For the best tasting masala chai, use whole, plump, green cardamom pods. Thoroughly grind the pod, and the brownish seeds within, with a mortar and pestle or a spice/coffee grinder. If you cannot find the whole pods, the decorticated (pod removed) seeds can be used, but will lack the fresh flavor of the full pod. It is not worth buying the powder because it oxidizes quickly after being ground and has already lost its potency and flavor on the shelf. I have found it is best not to boil the cardamom, but to add it to the masala after turning off the heat and let it steep. The volatile oils, and with them the flavor and medicinal value, are diminished with boiling.