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Spicy chai latte – what is it?

A spiced chai latte is a tea drink with the addition of milk (cream) and spices, very popular in a number of coffee shops like Starbucks.

Where are you from?

In general, the birthplace of latte, a well-known coffee drink, is Italy. Therefore, it is generally accepted that spicy tea latte also comes from this country.

Compound

Traditionally, this drink includes black or green tea, milk and spices. The latter are most often chosen to include cinnamon, cloves, allspice peas, cardamom pods, and chopped ginger root. This set of ingredients resembles the composition of masala tea, a traditional Indian drink. However, they are not the same thing. Tea latte differs in its preparation technology, some ingredients and, accordingly, taste characteristics.

This spicy drink is served in a number of coffee shops. There it can be presented in several options:

• chai latte made entirely from instant powder mixture;
• a drink made from powder, to which sweet syrups with flavors are added;
• natural tea latte made from tea leaves with the addition of milk and spices.

What are the benefits of latte?

You can start your morning with this drink, replacing a cup of espresso. This is even more beneficial for the body, because the spices contained in it stimulate many metabolic processes, awakening the body and setting it up to work. In addition, spicy tea latte is gentler on the stomach due to the huge amount of milk it contains.

Useful characteristics of tea:

• It contains less tannin than any other type of tea drink, and especially coffee, and therefore does not interfere with the functioning of the human cardiovascular system.
• Rich in antioxidants, vitamins B, A, E and C, which means it fights stress and protects against cancer.
• Excellent tonic without obvious stimulation of the nervous system.
• Warms in cool weather.
• Improves appetite.
• Provokes the functioning of the immune system.
• Improves lactation.

If we talk about the calorie content of the drink, then it directly depends on the fat content of the milk component. The average calorie content of a cup of latte (100 ml) is approximately 65 Kcal. You can simply add milk to tea, you can use it to brew young greenish tea leaves with tips, or you can whisk it with a whisk or use a French press and pour it into a mug with foam.

Latte is served in glass glasses with a handle or ordinary clay cups with thick walls to keep the drink warm longer. Some cafe chains, for example, Starbucks, offer to enrich lattes with sweet syrups, mint and vanilla are especially popular, while the first is perfect for a greenish latte, and the second for a dark one.

Take this test and find out which drink is best for you.

The benefits and harms of the drink

When talking about the benefits and harms of tea latte, it should be borne in mind that we are talking about a drink made from natural ingredients. It makes no sense to discuss the “useful” properties of synthetic mixtures diluted with water.

Benefit

Adding milk to tea increases the nutritional value of the drink. It is also enriched with some beneficial substances included in the ingredients. Tea latte contains important microelements and vitamins (A, E, C, group B). The spicy drink has a bactericidal effect. In addition, he:

1. Helps improve mood, invigorates, and is a source of strength. Helps cope with tension, putting the nervous system in order.
2. Provides improved immunity.
3. Promotes cleansing of impurities and toxins.
4. Leads to an increase in the efficiency of brain activity.
5. Excellent warmth in the cold season.

Contraindications and possible harm

The list of contraindications for drinking latte tea is small, the main one being individual intolerance. The drink, especially with the addition of sweeteners, is quite high in calories, so it is better for overweight people to avoid it (there are exceptions).

Also, some scientists are sure that adding milk to tea is a bad habit, because... this combination can lead to disruption of the digestive system and the formation of kidney stones. However, it is worth saying that this question remains controversial; there is no clear answer to it yet.

Calorie content

The calorie content of tea latte depends on its ingredients and preparation technology. A drink with the addition of sugar, honey, syrups, etc. acquires greater energy value. For example, the calorie content of a 354 ml Starbucks latte is approximately 160 kcal.

Nescafe Dolce Gusto Chai Tea Latte capsule mixture for coffee machine contains 449 kcal in 100 g.

Blue teas

These are no longer standard matcha teas, but with clitoris flowers.

But the drinks are similar in preparation.

• Take 1 glass of milk.
• Half a glass of water.
• From 2 to 3 g of blue teas.
• Agave honey or syrup.

Cooking:

1. Pour water where the tea is.
2. Whisk everything until smooth.
3. If you like sweets in drinks, put them in tea.
4. Place everything in a blender, pour warm milk into it and whisk to form foam.

Pour into cups. Enjoy.

Varieties and brands

Chai lattes are growing in popularity. Today you can not only prepare it yourself, but also buy the finished product. There are different types of this tea, produced under different brands.

Matcha latte

This is a drink made from Japanese powdered green tea - matcha. The latter is very popular in its homeland and is an obligatory element of the traditional tea ceremony. However, residents of Western countries liked matcha latte more – tea in powder form with the addition of milk. This drink with amazing foam has a softer taste. Often, in coffee shops, various designs are created on the surface of matcha lattes.

The drink is often prepared with almond, soy, coconut or rice milk. Also, to add spicy notes to this tea latte, cardamom, crushed ginger root, and clove buds are added. Honey, syrups, and granulated sugar are used as sweeteners.

A popular brand of matcha-based green tea latte is Green Tea Latte Nokchawon from a Korean company. According to the manufacturer, this drink has good dietary properties. It contains no spices.

Spiced tea latte David Rio Chai

The most popular brand of spicy tea latte is produced by the American company David Rio. Its founders, developing their (at first small) business, drew inspiration from the taste of Indian masala tea. The company has created an easy-to-prepare product that is now known in various parts of the world.

Latte tea from David Rio has different flavors and, as the manufacturer claims, is completely natural. Blends of tea (black, green, white) and various organic additives (mango, honey, spices, etc.) are packaged in tins with a bright design. To get the drink, you need to put latte tea in a mug and add hot water or heated milk to it.

Tea latte for coffee machines

You can prepare the drink using coffee machines and special mixtures suitable for them.

Tassimo Chai Latte

All components of this tea are packaged in so-called T-discs (capsules) intended for use in coffee machines. In Tassimo, as a rule, there are 8 servings, each of which is designed for 245 ml of drink. The taste of the resulting tea is spicy with milky undertones.

Dolce Gusto Chai Latte

Capsules with spiced tea latte are designed for coffee machines of the Swiss brand Nescafe. The product contains tea and milk mixtures separately. The first capsule consists of sugar, milk powder, tea extract, natural spice flavors, coconut and palm oils, soy lecithin (emulsifier). The milk capsule is composed of milk powder, sugar and an emulsifier.

Despite the popularity of the brand, this product has low ratings on well-known review sites.

Popular dishes

Frappuccino

The most famous and beloved product in the Starbucks chain is the Frappuccino. This is a coffee drink that contains a lot of syrups and whipped cream. Therefore, it is very high in calories. And about 15 tablespoons of sugar per serving plus heavy cream makes it a cocktail for future subcutaneous fat.

The presence of such an amount of sugar causes a feeling of pleasure and addiction in the neural centers, which acts akin to a light drug. And the syrups contain fructose, which is a rather harmful, but beneficial sugar substitute for manufacturers. It tastes much sweeter, and the calorie content is very high. It also acts on neural impulses, causing addiction.

Hot chocolate

The most requested drink at Starbucks on Christmas and New Year's Eve is the spiced peppermint hot chocolate. The recipe contains heavy cream and chocolate, which are quite nutritious on their own. And, of course, a large amount of syrups and sugar. Together they amount to 750 kilocalories.

Considering that the drink is often accompanied by dessert from Starbucks, for example, small muffins, which consist of 400 kcal, or cookies with chocolate and cranberry (about 500 kcal), caramel waffles - 200 kcal. at 24 g, then in one such snack you consume half of your daily calorie intake.

Other drinks

Latte (220 kcal) and macchiato (240 kcal) have the highest calorie content from the menu list. This is because they contain many sweet additives, such as syrup, cream and chocolate. Americano (160 kcal) is the best choice, although it contains a lot of sugar. A cappuccino without sugar will cost 140 kilocalories.

Also on the Starbucks menu is regular tea, mango tea, and spiced tea latte. Tea itself does not carry many calories. But a large amount of syrup is added to it, which raises the calorie content of regular tea in 300 g to 190 kcal, spicy latte tea to 160, and mango tea will consist of 250 kcal.

Starbucks food calorie table

Spiced tea latte in coffee shops and restaurants - how they make it there

Perhaps the most popular coffee chain that makes spicy chai lattes is Starbucks. By going to the company’s official page, you can find information about the composition of the drinks and their energy value.

For example, let's look at what is included in a black tea latte (with coconut milk) with the addition of spices and honey from Starbucks:

1. The milk base includes water, coconut milk itself, granulated sugar, stabilizers (E418, E415), E472c. Among other things, it consists of concentrated coconut juice and an acidity regulator.
2. The tea base consists of a concentrate - water, black tea, cardamom, pepper, ginger and its juice, cinnamon, cloves, natural aromatics, anise, granulated sugar, honey, vanilla extract and citric acid (E330).
3. Also one of the basics is water.

Other types of tea lattes at Starbucks are prepared using the same principle. One of the fans of this drink describes it this way: “Chai Tea Latte has a very pleasant, slightly sweet, spicy aroma and harmonious taste. Spices do not overwhelm other ingredients. The taste reveals sweet notes of honey and, apparently, syrup. I think everyone will like this drink.”

You can try a similar tea latte at McCafe - coffee shops and restaurants that belong to McDonald's. But on the official website of “Shokoladnitsa” there is a menu with several types of tea, among which, however, there is no spicy latte. Although, according to some information, this drink in these coffee shops is made based on David Rio products.

What is it like?

So what exactly is chai latte? A beautiful drink, which includes dark or greenish tea, milk, spices and sugar, will not leave anyone phlegmatic.

It will appeal not only to those who love tea, but also to those who cannot imagine their life without a cup of coffee.

You can prepare it from any type of tea: snow-white, dark, greenish. Any spices can also be used, depending on the recipe.

This drink has a delicate and mild taste, and a pronounced aroma, with a long herbal or spicy aftertaste.

How to make spiced chai latte at home, recipes

You can prepare this drink at home. There are many ways, but we will consider the following recipe.

For 2 servings you will need:

• 250 ml milk;
• 250 ml purified water;
• 1 slice of orange zest;
• 3 buds of cloves;
• 1 cinnamon stick;
• 3 allspice peas;
• 1 pinch of nutmeg;
• 4 tsp granulated sugar;
• 2 tsp loose leaf black tea.

Cooking steps:

1. A saucepan (saucepan) with milk and water is placed on the stove and heated so that the mixture does not boil.
2. After heating, the zest, all the spices, tea and granulated sugar are placed there. The mixture is simmered over low heat for 3 minutes.
3. The saucepan is removed from the stove. The contents are filtered into another container using a fine sieve or gauze.
4. The drink is whipped with a blender until foam is obtained.
5. Tea latte is poured into beautiful mugs and additionally decorated with spices. It should be drunk immediately after preparation.

You can make a ginger tea latte using the classic recipe. It usually also contains cardamom. And ground ginger root replaces the zest.

To get an amazing drink with light foam, you can use tea bags and marshmallows as a decoration. How to prepare tea latte taking into account these nuances, see the following video:

Matcha latte chocolate drinks

Do you want to get a refined taste? Chocolate additive will suit you.

For this you will need:

• 180 ml. milk;
• 60 ml. water
• 1 tsp tea;
• 70 g chocolate;
• other sweets in the form of sugar or honey, to taste.

1. Mix water with tea and stir.
2. Heat the milk and beat until foamy.
3. Combine the foam with tea and bring to a boil.
4. Throw in pieces of chocolate and dissolve it there.
5. Then beat everything with a blender.

The drinks are ready.

Reviews about the drink

As an example, we recommend reading reviews about spiced tea latte left by visitors to our website using the comment form.

SlastR: “Once I was lucky enough to try David Rio tea with mango. I really liked this drink, so I had to find it and order it on the Internet. The basis for its preparation can be either water or milk. It’s especially tasty when you whip up a milk drink with a blender or cappuccino maker. Although my mother prefers this tea with water. The line has different tastes. But for now I drink it with mango. I can recommend this tea latte, but I recommend starting with the smallest jar, because... It’s not cheap.”

Artefaktof: “I can’t resist David Rio milky black tea with vanilla and spices. Banks “fly away” very quickly. This product has many varieties. Contains tea, sugar, milk. Therefore, if you are a little English, then you should like it. The drink has a rich taste. However, it has a significant drawback - it is very expensive: approximately 1 thousand rubles. for 400 g."

Chai lattes are becoming increasingly popular. Its main task is not to cure any disease, but to give a person a good mood, give him vigor, and inspire him to new achievements. So drink quality tea latte and just enjoy life – it’s wonderful!

Website about keto diet, LCHF, health, fitness, healthy lifestyle

What's in Starbucks drinks?

Starbucks are naturally the masters of marketing. We taught the whole world to drink coffee with syrups and additives and be proud of it. Their drinks are so photogenic and delicious that many are tempted to stop by for a celebratory latte during the day. I believe that since you have chosen the keto path, and at one point voted for normal healthy food, without syrups and additives, then you should forget the road there. If you’ve come for company, then your choice is a formidable freshly brewed black, Americano or espresso, or tea without additives.

I myself know that it’s hard to give up eating habits, which is why many lovers of all kinds of pumpkin spice lattes choose drinks with coconut milk or almond milk. What's in these types of milk? Is there sugar? We will find the answer from the coffee shop chain itself. I requested information about the composition of the goods and here are the details for you. As they say on the Internet, I’ll just leave this here and highlight the word “sugar”, and you can decide for yourself which latte you shouldn’t order next time.

How to eat healthy at Starbucks

• In order to reduce the calorie content of drinks to a minimum, it is recommended to avoid adding syrups. Of course, this requires courage to deprive yourself of additional pleasure.
• It is also recommended to replace regular milk with skim milk and give up sugar.
• A useful life hack would be to buy a small or medium size coffee or tea instead of a grande size. If you drink it slowly, enjoying the taste, you will not feel the difference, but you will reduce the calories by up to half.
• Avoid Frappuccinos, Americanos, lattes and other options that contain large amounts of sugar, heavy cream and syrups.
• It is not recommended to eat on the run, since Starbucks is still a fast food establishment. You yourself won’t notice how much more food you consume in a hurry.