What ingredients are in chai tea and where does it come from? The word “chai” simply means tea in India, where chai tea originated. It is typically brewed with a base of black Assam tea with spices including black pepper, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. The typical way to make chai in India is to combine it with steamed milk (either cow’s milk or almond milk), then add honey to make it sweeter. While black tea is used most frequently in traditional chai, there are numerous other spiced tea or masala tea beverages that go by the name and many of which incorporate chai’s spices and flavours with other types of tea.

What Percentage of Caffeine Is in a Serving of Chai?

The amount of caffeine in one serving might fluctuate greatly depending on the sort of chai tea you are drinking because there are so many variations of chai tea that are offered, each of which varies in how much it resembles the classic definition of chai. We will need a little more information, such as the type of tea leaves and the method of preparation, to determine the amount of caffeine in your 8-ounce cup of chai:

• Traditional black chai – Though often on the lower end of the range, this sort of chai can have between 50 and 100 milligrammes in a regular cup. However, because of its moderately high caffeine content, it makes an excellent early morning tea because it will provide you the boost in energy you need to get through the day.
• Rooibos chai — Since Rooibos is a herbal tea, it is caffeine-free. Rooibos (red) chai is the type of chai tea to choose if you want to limit your caffeine intake before night or while pregnant.
• Green tea: This variant has 30 to 50 milligrammes of caffeine in a typical cup, which is less than black chai. Due to its reduced caffeine content, green tea is ideal for a light afternoon and morning pick-me-up but should certainly be avoided around night or by anyone trying to reduce their caffeine intake.
• Chai latte – There are various ways to create chai lattes, and each one contains a different quantity of caffeine. Therefore, these well-known drinks offer a delightful and distinctive way to enjoy chai that allows you to control your caffeine intake. There are many kits readily available to assist you in making them at home, including simple alternatives for the most of chai types:
• Steeped chai tea – Some chai lattes are made with black tea that has been traditionally steeped together with milk, which results in a creamy, foamy, and spicy beverage. A chai latte in this instance would contain the same amount of caffeine as a standard cup; the main distinction is the amount of milk added. Lattes made with chai powder typically include 25–55 milligrammes of caffeine.
• Chai concentrate: Lattes made with chai concentrate contain 30-35 milligrammes of the substance. Pour, stir, and enjoy is all it takes to use this practical solution.
• Chai syrup – Some chai lattes are simply flavoured to mimic the spiciness and earthiness of the steeped beverage. This beverage is probably devoid of caffeine if the chai flavour comes solely from a syrup.

What Are the Caffeine Levels in Chai in Relation to Other Teas?

You might also be curious about how potent your morning chai is in comparison to other types of tea. The caffeine levels add up as follows if you’re sipping traditional black chai masala tea while reading the morning newspaper or finishing your daily crossword puzzle:

• Oolong vs. chai – A serving of oolong tea typically contains 37–55 milligrammes of caffeine. This means that at its highest caffeine level, oolong contains about half as much caffeine as black chai tea.
• Chai vs. green – Green tea has between 35 and 45 milligrammes of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup, similar to chai green tea and oolong. You’re definitely best off sticking with your black chai with its 50–100 milligrammes of caffeine if you’re looking for a strong tea to give you an energy boost for the day. White versus chai – White tea is exceptionally fresh because it is picked before the tea plant’s leaves have had a chance to fully unfold.
• It also receives less processing and oxygen exposure than other kinds of tea, giving it a more delicate flavour profile. This explains why a cup of white tea only contains 15 to 30 milligrammes of caffeine. White tea may taste good, but it won’t wake you up like chai.
• Herbal versus chai – Despite their name, herbal teas are not actually teas at all, and unlike tea leaves, they do not contain naturally occurring caffeine. Herbal teas are most akin to the caffeine-free rooibos chai tea in terms of strength. Traditional black chai, which has the greatest caffeine level of any form of tea, is unquestionably one of the best drinks for assisting you in overcoming morning grogginess.

How Do Chai Tea and Coffee Compare?

Traditional morning beverages that can help you wake up include tea and coffee. However, even a potent chai tea beverage contains less caffeine than coffee. Eight ounces of coffee contain 120 milligrammes of caffeine, compared to 60 milligrammes in a standard cup of black chai tea.  Additionally, tea provides a more sustained energy boost than coffee, which starts off stronger but climbs and declines more quickly. When the caffeine wears off from this spike, it results in unpleasant side effects including jitters and crashes. Because chai tea contains less caffeine and is absorbed by our systems more slowly, adverse effects of that nature will be less noticeable if you drink it.

Conclusion

Chai, like all black teas, contains caffeine. While the exact amount of caffeine vary from blend to blend, chai tea contains roughly half the caffeine as a cup of coffee.