# How to Make Chai From Scratch (Real Masala Chai)

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**Source:** teas.co.uk, UK tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

## Summary

Real chai is simmered, not steeped: strong Assam and whole bruised spices boiled in milk and water, sweetened to taste. Not a syrup cafe latte.

## Description

How to make chai from scratch, in summary: Real chai is simmered, not steeped: strong Assam and whole bruised spices boiled in milk and water, sweetened to taste. Not a syrup cafe latte.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for How to Make Chai From Scratch (Real Masala Chai). Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-make-chai-from-scratch/
Chai from scratch is simple, cheap and incomparably better than syrup based versions, once you know it is a simmered drink, not a steeped one. This sits in the tea making cluster beside tea lattes.
Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in April 2026.
What real chai is

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for What real chai is, How to Make Chai From Scratch (Real Masala Chai). Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-make-chai-from-scratch/Traditional masala chai is strong black tea simmered with whole spices, milk and sweetener, not tea with a flavour syrup. The simmering is the technique, see chai vs masala chai.
The spices

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for The spices, How to Make Chai From Scratch (Real Masala Chai). Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-make-chai-from-scratch/Cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, fresh ginger optional. Lightly crush whole spices for the best extraction; ground works but is less clean, see chai recipes.
The tea

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for The tea, How to Make Chai From Scratch (Real Masala Chai). Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-make-chai-from-scratch/A strong, robust Assam style black is traditional and necessary, it must stand up to spice and milk. A delicate tea disappears, see Assam.
The method

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for The method, How to Make Chai From Scratch (Real Masala Chai). Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-make-chai-from-scratch/Simmer crushed spices in water a few minutes, add tea and simmer, add milk and bring back up, sweeten, strain. Simmering, not steeping, builds the depth, see brewing basics.
Milk and sweetenerTraditionally whole milk and a fair amount of sugar or jaggery; adjust to taste, oat milk works well, see best milk.
Common mistakesWeak tea, not simmering, pre ground stale spice, or adding milk too early and scalding it. Strong tea, real simmer, fresh whole spice fixes all of them.
What it boils down toSimmer whole spices, add strong black, then milk, then sweeten, then strain. Real chai is a five minute technique that beats any concentrate, see chai latte.
Chai from scratch, at a glance

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for How to Make Chai From Scratch (Real Masala Chai). Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-make-chai-from-scratch/
ElementRuleTeaStrong black, Assam ideally; it must survive a simmerSpicesWhole, bruised: cardamom, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, pepperMethodSimmer spices and tea in water and milk, do not just steepSweetenerIntegral to the style, but to taste, not by defaultNotA syrup-and-steamed-milk cafe chai latte; that is a different drink
Picks from the same corner: the chai range.
From the curatorteas · Spend less on prestige, more on freshness. A two-month-old supermarket bag still beats a three-year-old gift tin.
More tea readingHow to make masala chaiMasala chaiAssam teaTea lattes 
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for How to Make Chai From Scratch (Real Masala Chai). Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-make-chai-from-scratch/
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