Chai! - Ingredient Glossary

We have included a glossary of the various Chai ingredients found in recipes here. Please notify us with any corrections or additions that you might have. Thank you.

adrak

see ginger

adu

see ginger

aniseed

delicate sweetish licorice flavor, aid to digestion

Assam tea

black Indian tea, strong, full-bodied, produces a dark, orangy liquor with a distinctive 'malty' flavor, good quality, considered 'self-drinker' by Indian government, i.e., tea worth drinking unblended

bay leaves

large dried leaves of bay laurel tree, one of the oldest herbs used in cookery

black tea

rich in tannins, highly astringent, good remedy for diarrhea, produced by allowing harvested leaf to wither and oxidize for several hours before the process is halted by firing (i.e., heating and drying out) the leaf; see Assam, Ceylon, Darjeeling, Nilgiri and Sikkim

cardamom

elaichi or illaichi; (Elettaria cardamomum) green, white or black pods which contain black seeds, very aromatic when crushed, green pods are more aromatic than plumper, bleached white pods, green and white are generally used with sweet cooking, black is generally used for savory cooking, most prized spice after saffron, antispasmodic, digestive stimulant, eases flatulence, helpful for headaches

cassia

tejpatta; (Cinnamomum cassia) close relative to cinnamon, native to southern India and Sri Lanka

Ceylon tea

black Sri Lankan tea, brisk, full flavor, reddish-brown liquor, usually used in blends

chai

tea

chai masala

aromatic spice mix for chai

chini

sugar

cinnamon

darchini or taj; (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) used in rolled sticks or powder from the inner bark of cinnamon trea, aromatic sweet and pleasant flavor, relieves nausea, flatulence and diarrhea, generally considered to be of better quality than cassia bark from C. cassia, a close relative

cloves

laving or lavang or laung; (Eugenia aromatica) wonderful aroma, used whole or powdered, antiseptic, antispasmodic, prevents nausea, may be chewed as a breath freshener

cumin

jeera or zeera; (Cuminum cyminum)

darchini

see cinnamon

Darjeeling tea

black Indian tea, very flavorful, most expensive, sought after, light reddish color to a bright gold liquor, astringency usually quite pronounced, aroma and flavor hint of almonds and wild flowers, good quality, considered 'self-drinker' by Indian government, i.e., tea worth drinking unblended

doodh

milk

elaichi

see cardamom

fennel seeds

variari or variyali, sauf or sonf; aromatic seeds, taste similar to anise seed, used whole, roasted seeds make a delicious mouth freshener and digestive

garam masala

highly aromatic blend of several dry roasted and ground 'warm' spices, often sprinkled over top of dishes that are almost finished cooking, originated in northern India, typical incredients: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cumin, black pepper, chilies, mace

ghoor

see jaggery

ginger

adrak or adu (rhizome), soonth or sont (powdered); (Zingiber officinale) sharp taste, native to most of Asia, peel before using, eases a cold, brings warmth and settles stomach, cleansing effect on body, prevents nausea, improves appetite and digestion

gur

sweetener made from sap drained from various palm trees such as date, coconut or palmyra, used in eastern and southern India

Half & Half

brand name for a combination of half milk and half cream

illaichi

see cardamom

imli

tamarind

jaggery

ghoor; sweetener made from juice crushed out of sugar cane stalks, sold as hard or semi-soft pieces of unrefined cane sugar, color varies from light golden to dark brwon, flavor similar to molasses

jaiphal

see nutmeg

javitri

see mace

jeera

see cumin

kali mirac

see peppercorns

kesar

see saffron

kesari

see saffron

khas khas

khus khus or posta; (Papaver somniferum) white ripe seeds of the poppy plant used in India, usually toasted to bring out flavor, similar in flavor to the smaller than the blue-gray seeds used in the West

khus khus

see khas khas

lavang

see cloves

laung

see cloves

laving

see cloves

mace

javitri; (Achillea decolorans) dried outside covering of nutmeg kernel, sharper, slightly bitter flavor, similar to nutmeg but stronger

mamri

granulated tea used in India, similar to tea fannings or dust

mari

see peppercorns

masala

spice

milk (whole)

(I like the creaminess of Half & Half for chai)

Nilgiri tea

black Indian tea, very much like Ceylon tea, good quality, considered 'self-drinker' by Indian government, i.e., tea worth drinking unblended

nutmeg

jaiphal or zaiphal; (Myristica fragrans) aromatic nut, best used freshly crushed or grated, loses flavor rapidly in powdered form

Orange Pekoe

a term used for Ceylon black tea blend (most of the bagged tea that Americans drink is Indian and Ceylon black tea)

peppercorns

kali mirac or mari; used whole or powdered, black and white pepper comes from same shrub, instead of picking unripe berries and drying to produce black pepper, fruit is allowed to ripen then is soaked to remove dark outer skin producing white variety, milder, helps promote gastric secretions

poppy seeds

see khas khas

posta

see khas khas

saffron

kesar or kesari or zafrani or zafran; (Crocus sativus) sweetish aromatic orange-colored dried stigmas of crocus flower, most expensive spice, available in powdered form, best when used in stigma form called threads or strands

sakara

sugar

sauf or saunf

see fennel

Sikkim tea

black Indian tea, similar to Darjeeling, less expensive

shakkar

sugar

soonth

see ginger

sonf

see fennel

sont or sonth

see ginger

taj

see cinnamon

tamarind

ambli or imli; bean-like fruit, wonderful sweet/sour taste, used for chutneys, dips, cooking, when ripe is peeled, seeded, compressed into brick-like shapes

tegpatta

see cassia

tej patta

see bay leaf

tea, dust

bits and pieces of tea leaves left over from the sievings that separate out whole leaves and large pieces of leaves, infuses quickly, used in bags (most of the bagged tea that Americans drink is Indian and Ceylon black tea)

tea, fannings

slightly larger than tea dust, pieces of tea leaves left over from the sievings that separate out whole leaves and large pieces of leaves, infuses quickly, used in bags (most of the bagged tea that Americans drink is Indian and Ceylon black tea)

tea, loose

generally whole leaves, but because of their larger surface becomes stale more quickly

tegpatta

see cassia

tej pati

bay leaf

vanilla

(Vanilla fragrans)

variari

see fennel

variyali

see fennel

zafran or zafrani

see saffron

zaiphal

see nutmeg

zeera

see cumin

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adrak	see ginger
adu	see ginger
aniseed	delicate sweetish licorice flavor, aid to digestion
Assam tea	black Indian tea, strong, full-bodied, produces a dark, orangy liquor with a distinctive 'malty' flavor, good quality, considered 'self-drinker' by Indian government, i.e., tea worth drinking unblended
bay leaves	large dried leaves of bay laurel tree, one of the oldest herbs used in cookery
black tea	rich in tannins, highly astringent, good remedy for diarrhea, produced by allowing harvested leaf to wither and oxidize for several hours before the process is halted by firing (i.e., heating and drying out) the leaf; see Assam, Ceylon, Darjeeling, Nilgiri and Sikkim
cardamom	elaichi or illaichi; (Elettaria cardamomum) green, white or black pods which contain black seeds, very aromatic when crushed, green pods are more aromatic than plumper, bleached white pods, green and white are generally used with sweet cooking, black is generally used for savory cooking, most prized spice after saffron, antispasmodic, digestive stimulant, eases flatulence, helpful for headaches
cassia	tejpatta; (Cinnamomum cassia) close relative to cinnamon, native to southern India and Sri Lanka
Ceylon tea	black Sri Lankan tea, brisk, full flavor, reddish-brown liquor, usually used in blends
chai	tea
chai masala	aromatic spice mix for chai
chini	sugar
cinnamon	darchini or taj; (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) used in rolled sticks or powder from the inner bark of cinnamon trea, aromatic sweet and pleasant flavor, relieves nausea, flatulence and diarrhea, generally considered to be of better quality than cassia bark from C. cassia, a close relative
cloves	laving or lavang or laung; (Eugenia aromatica) wonderful aroma, used whole or powdered, antiseptic, antispasmodic, prevents nausea, may be chewed as a breath freshener
cumin	jeera or zeera; (Cuminum cyminum)
darchini	see cinnamon
Darjeeling tea	black Indian tea, very flavorful, most expensive, sought after, light reddish color to a bright gold liquor, astringency usually quite pronounced, aroma and flavor hint of almonds and wild flowers, good quality, considered 'self-drinker' by Indian government, i.e., tea worth drinking unblended
doodh	milk
elaichi	see cardamom
fennel seeds	variari or variyali, sauf or sonf; aromatic seeds, taste similar to anise seed, used whole, roasted seeds make a delicious mouth freshener and digestive
garam masala	highly aromatic blend of several dry roasted and ground 'warm' spices, often sprinkled over top of dishes that are almost finished cooking, originated in northern India, typical incredients: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cumin, black pepper, chilies, mace
ghoor	see jaggery
ginger	adrak or adu (rhizome), soonth or sont (powdered); (Zingiber officinale) sharp taste, native to most of Asia, peel before using, eases a cold, brings warmth and settles stomach, cleansing effect on body, prevents nausea, improves appetite and digestion
gur	sweetener made from sap drained from various palm trees such as date, coconut or palmyra, used in eastern and southern India
Half & Half	brand name for a combination of half milk and half cream
illaichi	see cardamom
imli	tamarind
jaggery	ghoor; sweetener made from juice crushed out of sugar cane stalks, sold as hard or semi-soft pieces of unrefined cane sugar, color varies from light golden to dark brwon, flavor similar to molasses
jaiphal	see nutmeg
javitri	see mace
jeera	see cumin
kali mirac	see peppercorns
kesar	see saffron
kesari	see saffron
khas khas	khus khus or posta; (Papaver somniferum) white ripe seeds of the poppy plant used in India, usually toasted to bring out flavor, similar in flavor to the smaller than the blue-gray seeds used in the West
khus khus	see khas khas
lavang	see cloves
laung	see cloves
laving	see cloves
mace	javitri; (Achillea decolorans) dried outside covering of nutmeg kernel, sharper, slightly bitter flavor, similar to nutmeg but stronger
mamri	granulated tea used in India, similar to tea fannings or dust
mari	see peppercorns
masala	spice
milk (whole)	(I like the creaminess of Half & Half for chai)
Nilgiri tea	black Indian tea, very much like Ceylon tea, good quality, considered 'self-drinker' by Indian government, i.e., tea worth drinking unblended
nutmeg	jaiphal or zaiphal; (Myristica fragrans) aromatic nut, best used freshly crushed or grated, loses flavor rapidly in powdered form
Orange Pekoe	a term used for Ceylon black tea blend (most of the bagged tea that Americans drink is Indian and Ceylon black tea)
peppercorns	kali mirac or mari; used whole or powdered, black and white pepper comes from same shrub, instead of picking unripe berries and drying to produce black pepper, fruit is allowed to ripen then is soaked to remove dark outer skin producing white variety, milder, helps promote gastric secretions
poppy seeds	see khas khas
posta	see khas khas
saffron	kesar or kesari or zafrani or zafran; (Crocus sativus) sweetish aromatic orange-colored dried stigmas of crocus flower, most expensive spice, available in powdered form, best when used in stigma form called threads or strands
sakara	sugar
sauf or saunf	see fennel
Sikkim tea	black Indian tea, similar to Darjeeling, less expensive
shakkar	sugar
soonth	see ginger
sonf	see fennel
sont or sonth	see ginger
taj	see cinnamon
tamarind	ambli or imli; bean-like fruit, wonderful sweet/sour taste, used for chutneys, dips, cooking, when ripe is peeled, seeded, compressed into brick-like shapes
tegpatta	see cassia
tej patta	see bay leaf
tea, dust	bits and pieces of tea leaves left over from the sievings that separate out whole leaves and large pieces of leaves, infuses quickly, used in bags (most of the bagged tea that Americans drink is Indian and Ceylon black tea)
tea, fannings	slightly larger than tea dust, pieces of tea leaves left over from the sievings that separate out whole leaves and large pieces of leaves, infuses quickly, used in bags (most of the bagged tea that Americans drink is Indian and Ceylon black tea)
tea, loose	generally whole leaves, but because of their larger surface becomes stale more quickly
tegpatta	see cassia
tej pati	bay leaf
vanilla	(Vanilla fragrans)
variari	see fennel
variyali	see fennel
zafran or zafrani	see saffron
zaiphal	see nutmeg
zeera	see cumin