Masala Chai
Our offering of this classic-style chai is composed of the highest quality ingredients blended to achieve the traditional flavor of Masala Chai. Bold and spicy black tea is supported by ginger, cardamom, and peppercorns. Brew it strong with milk and honey for a traditional chai.
A Brief Etymology of Masala Chai
Masala Chai has a complicated socio-political history that continues to evolve even almost 80 years after colonial rule ended in India. Part of this complicated history is confusion around and appropriation of the word "chai" into English.
In Indian languages, "chai" directly translates to "tea," so when we say "chai tea" we are all essentially saying "tea tea". (Tea drinkers familiar with Chinese and Japanese may note the similarity here to "cha" or "ocha".) The keyword in the name "Masala Chai," then, is not "chai," but rather "Masala" meaning "spiced". Masala can be any combination of spices with the most common being cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and black pepper (some family recipes are really spicy and even call for mace!).
Our collection of "chai" pull from many traditions and use descriptors like Masala, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Golden Dragon, Spiced Orange, and Saratoga Red to indicate the different spice mixes used and "chai" to indicate they are mixed with tea (or, in the case of Saratoga Red Chai, with rooibos).
You can learn more about the political and cultural importance of chai in this excellent Epicurious article by Leena Trivedi-Grenie.
You can also learn more about this popular drink, how we talk about chai in the shop, and the caffeine in chai on our blog!
Looking for a decaffeinated spiced chai? Try our naturally caffeine-free Saratoga Red Chai.
Tasting Notes
Origin & Ingredients
How to Brew
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What is Tea?
Did you know all tea comes from the same plant?!
Learn what makes green tea different from black tea, why herbal tea isn't really tea at all, and how tea goes from the fields to your cup.
How to Brew Tea
While every palate is slightly different, there are a few basic concepts that will help you brew the perfect pot of tea, every time! Explore our in-depth guide to brewing tea at home to discover everything you need to know about how to brew each of your favorite teas and herbal tisanes.
About Saratoga Tea & Honey Co.
Our passion for teas...
We are delighted to be able to share one of the largest and most varied collections of single origin traditional teas on the East Coast with our communi·tea. Personally curated by owner Hayley, these teas come to us from small farms and collectives and represent the best of their terroirs and production styles. While wondering our shelves in-person or online, you will discover familiar favorites like English Breakfast and Long Jing (Dragonwell) alongside rare teas like Shan Lin Xi and herbal tisanes blended for mindfulness, inflammation, and much more.
& bees...
Raw honey is one of nature's most marvelous gifts. Not only is honey a marvel of energy-giving carbohydrates fortified with antioxidants, minerals and beneficial enzymes - making it the healthiest natural sugar - honey comes in a rainbow of flavors and varieties with something for everyone to appreciate and enjoy. From dark, robust honeys like Buckwheat and Chestnut to light or amber honeys like Tupelo or Orange Blossom, the subtle and sometimes not so subtle flavor differences between varietal honeys lend themselves to extraordinary flavor combinations and experimentation in the kitchen, on the charcuterie board, or in your favorite cup of tea.
all started with our Queen Bee!
A trained chef, Hayley's vision for Saratoga Tea & Honey Co. has been her entire lifetime in the making. Though she was still drinking espresso at the time, the Tea & Honey seeds were planted in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants with training and appreciation for food and beverage as not just sustenance, but experience and hospitality. Her time spent as a chef-instructor at Jacques Pépin's French Culinary Institute introduced her first to matcha (and its ability to enhance sustained and steady focus), then to the subtleties of single-origin traditional teas like high mountain Taiwanese oolong. As a celebrated and awarded taster and master of culinary arts, in 2015 Hayley opened the doors to Saratoga Tea & Honey Co. Since then, she has cultivated a communi·tea for discovering rare and exciting teas, extraordinary raw honeys & unique gifts produced by small farmers and artisans from around the world.