What does a chai latte taste like?
A chai latte tastes like sweet, milky black tea packed with warm spices: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and clove, cozy and creamy.
Chai latte
spiced tea, sweet and milky
A chai latte is the café version of masala chai, India's spiced milk tea. It's black tea brewed strong with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove and black pepper, then mixed with steamed milk and sweetened. It tastes warm and cozy, like a spice cake in a mug, with the tea adding a slightly dry, bitter backbone. Café versions often use a sweet chai concentrate, so they can be sugary and heavy on cinnamon. Indian-style chai, simmered with the milk, is usually spicier and less sweet.
Where you’ll see it
On almost every café menu, hot or iced, sometimes with an espresso shot added (a "dirty chai"). Indian restaurants serve masala chai, simmered with milk and spices.
Order it if you want something warm, sweet and spiced that is not coffee.
Quick questions
- Does a chai latte have caffeine?
- Yes, from the black tea, though usually less than a coffee. A dirty chai adds a shot of espresso for more.
- What is the difference between chai and a chai latte?
- Chai is spiced tea, often simmered with milk in Indian homes. A chai latte is the café version, usually made with concentrate and steamed milk, and often sweeter.