"Chai" is just Hindi for tea, but in English speaking countries it has come to mean the spiced milk tea blend from the Indian subcontinent, black tea brewed with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper, served with milk and sugar.

Chai (masala chai) is loose tea cooked with whole spices in a pan with milk and sugar, the Indian home version. Chai latte is a café preparation: a concentrated chai syrup or sachet powder mixed with steamed milk. Café chai is sweeter and creamier; homemade is more spice forward.

Heat 200ml water and 200ml milk in a small pan. Add 4 cardamom pods (crushed), 1 small piece of cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, a thin slice of fresh ginger, and a pinch of black pepper. Bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes. Add 2 tsp loose Assam tea, simmer 2 more minutes. Strain into mugs, sweeten to taste.

Yes, the black tea base contains caffeine, typically 30-50mg per 200ml cup, less than an English Breakfast because of the dilution by milk and water. Decaf chai uses decaffeinated black tea (~2-5mg). Some "chai" blends use rooibos as the base for caffeine free versions.

A modern variant where ground turmeric is added to the spice blend for its earthy, slightly bitter, golden colour. Pukka Turmeric Active and Yogi Turmeric Chai are the popular UK options. The cup turns golden orange and the turmeric adds depth without dominating the cardamom and ginger.