An Introduction to Iced Chai Lattes

Cool drinks can help to alleviate summer heat and provide refreshment when portable fans or air conditioning aren't enough. In this article, I am going to describe a recipe for one of my favorite cold drinks - the iced chai latte.

What is Chai?
According to Wikipedia, chai is the generic term for tea in most of the world. However, in the western world, chai is automatically associated with masala chai, which is an Indian beverage "made by brewing tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs." In this article, I will refer to masala chai as chai.

Why Should I Be Interested in Chai?
Iced chai lattes are a cool, refreshing beverage that has a distinct, pleasurable taste. An iced chai latte takes very little time to produce, at maybe two minutes max. Iced chai lattes also have a small amount of caffeine in them, so they can help to wake one up in the morning or during an afternoon slump. In my opinion, chai tastes really good, and even if you don't choose to make an iced chai latte at home, you should at least try one from a coffee shop such as Starbucks.

Where Can I Get Chai?
Chai is available in packets like regular tea and also as concentrate. I have only ever used Tazo brand chai concentrate. This is the same concentrate that they use at Starbucks in their chai lattes. This concentrate is available at many supermarkets and costs about $3.50 for 32 ounces. I find that one carton of Tazo chai concentrate can make about eight iced chai lattes.

How Do I Make an Iced Chai Latte?
You need four things to make an iced chai latte:
Ice
Tazo Chai Concentrate
Milk (soymilk or other non-dairy milks can be substituted)
A glass or travel mug

I prefer to use skim milk when making iced chai lattes. To make an iced chai latte, place two to three ice cubes in your drink receptacle of choice. Then, eyeball an amount of chai concentrate to pour into the glass or mug. The amount of concentrate will determine the strength of the drink, and will therefore be an individual preference. If it is your first time drinking an iced chai latte, I recommend underestimating the amount you need rather than overestimating the amount of concentrate. More can always be added. After you add the chai concentrate, fill the rest of the drink receptacle with your milk of choice. Stir with a spoon if necessary, then enjoy!

Conclusion
Hopefully you will enjoy iced chai lattes if you decide to try them. If you know of any other chai-based beverages, please feel free to share in the comments section. Thank you for reading!