Chai tea generally, is a milky, spiced tea made with black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pepper, and various other spices. It is usually sweetened - most commonly with sugar, but some drinkers prefer honey. There is not a universal recipe for chai, as different drinkers like it different ways, so the spice list can change depending on who's making it.

Taking Tea with
Metropolitan Tea Company Ltd.

Ah, Lemongrass. Long heralded for its ability to lift a weary and sagging spirit, lemongrass, (Latin: Cymbopogon flexuosus) is native to East India where it is also known as Malabar grass.

As you brew this tea, first note the slight sweet scent of fresh lemon that emanates from your teapot. The smell of citrus is due to the presence of citral, a biological component of the lemongrass plant. Next, as you sip the tea, notice its eye opening quality. The chai is produced with a base blend of Assam and Kenyan teas from Keyhung, and Kambaa gardens respectively – these estates are noted for their good, strong, full-bodied teas. As you drain the cup you may also find that the presence of the lemongrass in the blend adds clarity of mind, and an openness of spirit.

Lemongrass itself was traditionally consumed throughout South East Asia as a digestive aid. Subsequently, as an after dinner drink, this chai is unsurpassed, and compliments spicy meals exceptionally well. Like all chais, traditional preparation methods require that the tea be brewed in heavy milk. A similar effect can be achieved however by adding scalded milk to your cup once the tea has been brewed.