Chai latte & chai tea: the spicy favourite – without sugar
Chai is more than a trend drink: in India, “masala chai” (spiced tea) is drunk every day. As a creamy chai latte, this blend of black tea, milk and spices has long been popular in Switzerland too – ready-made mixes, however, often contain a lot of sugar. Here you will find the essentials on chai: the spices and their flavour, the classic recipe, the quick version without added sugar and what to look out for when buying.
TEABALLS Organic Chai Latte
Chai latte in 60 seconds instead of 20 minutes: put 3–5 TEABALLS into hot water (60–80 °C) and top up with hot milk for a chai latte. Organic-certified, no tea bag, no added sugar.
CHF 9.90
Order nowWhat is chai latte – and what is chai tea?
“Chai” simply means “tea” in Hindi. The Western term “chai tea” is therefore actually redundant – but today it stands for the spicy Indian style of preparation with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black pepper. Chai latte is the creamy version: a concentrated chai infusion topped up with frothed milk – the café classic. Chai has a long tradition in India; in its present form with black tea, milk and spices it has become widespread mainly since the early 20th century.
Important: depending on the product, ready-made chai latte powders contain roughly 8 to 18 g of sugar per cup (150 ml). In a product test by the Hamburg consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg), one powder contained 18 g and the “less sweet” version 8.3 g. If you make chai yourself, you decide whether and with what to sweeten it.
The spices in chai: flavour and ingredients
Ginger
Ginger provides heat and a fresh note. You can find more in our ginger tea guide.
Cardamom
Cardamom belongs to the ginger family and has a fresh, slightly minty taste.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon gives chai its warm, slightly sweet note – without any sugar.
Black tea & caffeine
The basis of classic chai is usually a strong black tea, for example Assam. Black tea contains caffeine: according to the BfR (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment), a cup (200 ml) of brewed black tea contains about 45 mg, filter coffee about 90 mg. How much caffeine a chai latte contains depends on the amount of tea and the steeping time.
Classic chai tea recipe – make it yourself without sugar powder
Ingredients for 2 cups:
- 400 ml water
- 200 ml milk (or a plant-based alternative: oat, almond or coconut milk)
- 2 tsp black tea (or 2 tea bags / a strong black tea infusion)
- 4 cardamom pods (lightly crushed)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3–4 slices of fresh ginger
- 3 cloves
- 4–5 black peppercorns
- Optional: sweeten to taste – for the sugar-free version, simply leave it out
Preparation:
- Bring the water, spices and ginger to the boil in a pot and simmer for 5 minutes
- Add the tea and steep for another 3 minutes (do not boil!)
- Pour in the milk and heat briefly, do not boil
- Pour through a fine sieve into cups
- Sweeten as you like or enjoy unsweetened
Making chai latte yourself – the creamy version
For a classic chai latte, prepare the tea infusion a little more concentrated and top it with frothed milk (or oat milk). The result is a creamy chai latte – with no hidden sugar if you make it yourself.
Chai latte in 60 seconds – no cooking, no added sugar
No desire to simmer spices for 20 minutes? With TEABALLS Organic Chai Latte, the version without added sugar is ready in one minute: put 3 to 5 TEABALLS into hot water (60–80 °C) and let them dissolve; for a chai latte, top up with hot milk. The organic varieties are naturally cloudy: a fine, natural sediment (the plant content) remains, which you can drink. No tea bag, no sieve – at the office or on the go too, wherever hot water is to hand.
TEABALLS Organic Chai Latte contains black tea (Assam), cinnamon, ginger, aniseed, liquorice root, pepper, cardamom and natural vanilla flavouring – all ingredients from organic farming. The variety is also part of the Organic 3-Pack FEEL GOOD (together with Organic Ginger Turmeric Orange and Organic Good Morning).
Chai iced tea – the summer chai
Chai is also a delight cold: let the chai infusion from the recipe above cool, pour it over plenty of ice and refine it with a little lemon juice and mint to taste. Please note: TEABALLS Organic Chai Latte is intended for hot drinks only. For uncomplicated iced tea without sugar, the 16 TEABALLS varieties, which also dissolve in cold water, are suitable.
Buying chai tea – what to look out for?
Ready-made chai tea blends are available as loose or bagged tea. Look out for:
- No sugar in the tea blend itself (sugar only comes in when you sweeten)
- Organic certification for spices and tea
- Ingredients list: does it contain real spices or only “chai flavouring”?
For anyone who wants tea without a long preparation, TEABALLS Organic is one solution: organic tea in small pressed pieces – simply put them in hot water, no bag, no sieve. There are 24 varieties in total, 8 of them organic (16 TEABALLS varieties and 8 organic varieties).
Frequently asked questions about chai latte
What is the difference between chai tea and chai latte?
Chai tea is the spiced black tea infusion; chai latte is the creamy version with frothed milk. Both can be made without added sugar – cooked the classic way or in 60 seconds with TEABALLS Organic Chai Latte.
How much sugar is in ready-made chai latte?
Depending on the product, chai latte powders contain roughly 8 to 18 g of sugar per cup (150 ml). If you make it yourself, you decide whether to sweeten it; TEABALLS Organic Chai Latte contains no added sugar.
Does chai latte contain caffeine?
Yes, from the black tea. For comparison: according to the BfR, a cup (200 ml) of brewed black tea contains about 45 mg of caffeine, filter coffee about 90 mg. The exact value depends on the amount of tea and the steeping time. If you want a caffeine-free drink, choose herbal teas.
Which spices belong in a masala chai?
Classically: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black pepper. Depending on the region, star anise, fennel or nutmeg are added.
How do I prepare TEABALLS Organic Chai Latte?
Put 3 to 5 TEABALLS into hot water (60–80 °C) and let them dissolve; for a chai latte, top up with hot milk. The organic varieties can only be enjoyed hot and are naturally cloudy (fine sediment).
Conclusion: chai – spicy and quickly made
Homemade chai is a question of time and spices – and you decide how sweet it is. With TEABALLS Organic Chai Latte, the cup without added sugar is on the table in a minute.
