All of India's flavours in one cup of tea:
When Michael Beck masterminded our Spice series he first explored what India's national masala chai is all about. Traditionally, tea vendors called “chai wallahs“ prepare their concoction by simmering or boiling spices such as cinnamon, green cardamom, ginger, white pepper, cloves and nutmeg in black tea for several hours. The intense masala aroma that builds up is in line with Ayurvedic tradition. In Europe masala tea is known as “chai“. And what's the secret behind the perfect chai? “For me, it's the interplay between selected spices and black tea, hot milk and moderate additions of sugar“, says Michael Beck. “That's exactly what makes chai so well-balanced and invigorating“.