Get your tea ready and let’s dive in!

Health Benefits of Tea

One of the main reasons green tea gained so much popularity is the high amount of EGCG. EGCG is a catechin linked to many health benefits. Teas that are less oxidised will have higher levels of this catechin, and green tea is one of them.

Both hot and cold brews can provide antioxidants and boost the immune system and provide an energy boost. However, specific health benefits can vary depending on the type of tea and the brewing method used.

What’s super interesting is that there are many studies on the right water temperature and steeping time for hot brewing to extract the most polyphenols and caffeine, and they all showed the same results – the higher the water temperature, the better.

It was until recently that hot brewing seemed like the best brewing methods for making green tea.

But recent studies showed that cold brewed green tea may actually provide better antioxidant properties and have less caffeine at the same time (1).

Hot Brewing Method

Hot brewing method is one of the most popular ways to make tea. Although hot brewing is simple, it requires a bit more patience and the right water temperature. Don’t use boiling water to make green tea because it will get bitter.

The right temperature for hot brewing green tea is usually between 75 to 85 degrees Celsius, depending on the tea type. Some teas, like gyokuro, require even lower temperature – from 45 to 65 degrees Celsius.

Cold Brewing Method

Cold brewing is steeping tea leaves in cold water for at least 2 hours in the fridge, preferably overnight. Different tea types will require different steeping time. Cold brewing is a fast and easy method that offers a very refreshing flavour with zero bitterness. Besides, tea brewed this way will contain less caffeine than hot brewed tea.

How Was Tea Prepared for This Test?

To determine which brewing method gives a better tasting tea, we did a taste and colour test that involved brewing loose leaf flavoured green tea – the type that’s commonly used for making a cold brew tea.

We used:

• 2 heaped teaspoon per 600 ml of water for cold brewing
• 1 teaspoon per 200 ml of water for hot brewing

Cold brewed tea was steeped for 12 hours in the fridge and hot brewed for only 1 minute at 80 degrees Celsius.

Comparison of Hot and Cold Brew Tea

So, what is the difference?

Without even trying the tea, you can see how different the colour is. 12-hour cold steeping gives a much lighter tea than 1-minute hot steeping.

You may already know that the darker the colour, the stronger the green tea will be. A great example of this is a comparison between popular gunpowder green tea that has a deeper yellow colour and lighter Dragon Well. The first one will usually be stronger and sometimes astringent, while the other one is much lighter and sweeter.

Then, there’s the flavour. Cold brewed tea is very light, fresh and sweet. It has more intense green notes than a hot brewed one. Hot brewed tea, on the other hand, is less fresh but more mellow and sweeter (especially since it’s a flavoured tea). Neither is bitter, but that’s because the steeping time was 1 minute for hot and 12 hours for cold tea.

Cold Brew vs Hot Brew, Which One is Better?

If you want to sip tea throughout the day and enjoy cold, and generally prefer unsweetened drinks, cold brewing is a wonderful option. It’s very refreshing, not overpowering and light.

But, if you like stronger taste or you’re looking for more flavour and caffeine, then hot brewing is a way to go. To explore complex flavours of pure, very high quality green tea hot brewing is actually a must – including re-steeping.

Tips For Brewing the Perfect Cup of Tea

1. Use filtered water: The quality of the water you use can significantly affect the taste of your tea. Filtered water with neutral taste is the best choice for both hot and cold brewing.
2. Use the correct temperature: The temperature at which you steep your tea can also affect the taste. When making green tea, keep it at 75-85 degrees Celsius. When making cold brewed tea, use cold or lukewarm water.
3. Steep for the right amount of time: Steeping for too long can give a bitter taste, while not steeping long enough can give a weak flavour. Cold brew green tea for at least 2 hours, but no longer than 24. When making hot tea, keep the steeping time at up to 3 minutes. However, 1 minute should be enough to get the right flavour.
4. Add more flavour: If you prefer a sweeter taste, hot brewing may be a better option. Sweeteners will balance out any astringency. Cold brewed tea is usually much lighter and doesn’t need any sweeteners. For both methods, you can add fresh fruits and even vegetables.
5. Store your tea properly: To keep your tea fresh and flavourful, store it in an airtight container away from light, moisture, and heat. Stale tea will never have a good flavour. However, if your tea doesn’t taste as nice when you hot brew it, try cold brewing because cold brewing results in a completely different flavour. You may discover you like it after all!

Cold Brew Tea vs Hot Brew Tea Recap

Both hot and cold brew tea have unique advantages when it comes to taste and health benefits.

While hot tea offers bold flavour, cold brew tea may be a wonderful choice for daily drinking.

If you’re looking for a healthier option, then cold brew tea may be a winner. However, preference plays a significant role, so it’s essential to experiment and find what suits you the best.

Remember, the quality of water, temperature, and steeping time are essential factors in determining the taste and health benefits of your tea.

Sources

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4648929/

The post Cold Brew vs Hot Brew Tea – Which is Better? appeared first on All That Tea.

We tested two ways – using cold and hot water to demystify which one tastes better.

After all, every cup and glass of tea you drink should be delicious.

So, is there a better way to make it in terms or flavour and benefits?

Let’s find out.

What is matcha tea?

Matcha tea is a type of Japanese green tea made from shaded tea leaves. What makes matcha a matcha is not only the shading process, but the use of special tea cultivars and removing all stalks and veins from tea leaves before powdering them.

Tea leaves used for making matcha are called tencha and look like small light flakes. Tencha is now more accessible too, so try it when you have a chance. Especially if you love matcha.

Let’s get back to matcha.

Matcha is usually described with three characteristics:

• Umami
• Bitterness
• Sweetness

Umami is a seaweed like flavour that is present in all green teas. It comes from L-theanine, an amino acid specific for Camellia sinensis plant, and is especially abundant in matcha and gyokuro green tea. That’s why matcha and gyokuro will have more umami then sencha.

Gyokuro is also a shaded tea, but it’s produced differently than matcha. It’s typically brewed with much cooler water than other green teas.

L-theanine is increased during the shading process, together with caffeine. Two compounds that give bitterness and astringency are caffeine and EGCG. Some of the highest quality matcha teas will have both sweet and umami flavour. Each matcha tea is going to be different and have slightly different ratios of these compounds.

Ultimately, which one you will like the most will depend on your preferences. If you haven’t found the one you like the most, try different types until you find the perfect one.

Is matcha produced in other countries?

Until recently, most of the authentic matcha tea was made only in Japan. But it’s not only the terroir that’s making matcha exclusive and authentic, it the way it is grown and processed as well. Authentic matcha always tastes different from the non-authentic tea and is easily recognizable based on colour and texture.

However, today there are other countries that are producing matcha tea that’s as authentic as the real matcha – but with a slightly different flavour profile that matches the terroir where they are grown.  

Terroir is an environment where the tea is produced and includes climate, soil and other environmental conditions. That’s why 2 teas from different countries, even if they are produced from the same tea cultivar and in the same way, will always taste different.

Which matcha is the best for making iced tea?

Iced matcha is just amazing for spring and summer days and it’s very easy to prepare.

You can use any matcha to make an iced tea, even matcha produced in countries besides Japan, as long as it has a vibrant, green and fresh scent and appearance. There’s no right or wrong in choosing the perfect matcha, but you should always enjoy your tea.

Many packaging and descriptions will not state the type of cultivar or additional information about how it was produced. In fact, these matter little, unless you are a tea connoisseur on a quest to try every type of matcha in the world.

As long as it’s made from quality leaves and it was shaded, stored properly and ground into a very fine powder, your matcha will provide both benefits and will taste delicious. Some teas may have a fresher flavour and scent, the others may have a stronger sweet and umami taste.

You don’t need to use ceremonial grade matcha for making iced matcha. Latte grades will be fine as well. You can add other condiments and powder too, to add other flavour notes such as honey, berries or even cinnamon.

Which utensils do you need for making iced matcha?

Traditionally, matcha is prepared with hot water, using special matcha utensils – chawan, chashaku and chasen. While you can replace chawan and chashaku, chasen is a must for making traditional matcha. Thankfully, there are no strict rules on how to make iced matcha. In fact, an electric hand frother may be a better option as it will make preparation super easy and convenient.

You may even make it with no utensils, using a shaker bottle or mason jar with a tightly closed lid. However, we recommend investing in an electric hand frother, especially if you love drinking matcha lattes too.

Another great utensils to have and use is a small sifter. Sifting matcha is a must step if you want to avoid lumps.

Hot or cold water for matcha – which is better?

Depending on which flavour you enjoy the most and the type of matcha you are using, both ways may, in fact, be a great option.

For this flavour test, iced matcha teas were made:

1. Using 50 ml of water – one was boiled and cooled to 80 degrees and the other was cold filtered water.
2. Tea was sifted into a smaller glass.
3. After pouring either hot or cold water, it was whisked using a hand frother.
4. Glasses were filled with ice and topped with cold water.

So, what did they taste like?

Iced matcha made with cold water only

Matcha made with cold water only has a lighter, more powdery flavour than matcha made with hot water. It’s fresher, grassier, and it had slightly more froth than a matcha made with hot water. This tea is lighter and sweeter and easier to make, as there you don’t need to boil the water first. It also has some astringency, but that astringency was light as well.  

Iced matcha made with hot water

Matcha made with hot water has a deeper, more complex flavour, with slightly more bitterness, but also more depth. It’s also more difficult to make, as it will require additional steps and you should be careful about the water temperature not to intensify the bitterness. However, if you are an avid matcha drinker, you may prefer this style of making iced matcha.

Which matcha will provide more benefits?

The benefits of any tea will depend not only on the type of tea but also on the way you prepare it.

Matcha is not only delicious, it’s also famous for its potential health benefits and energy boost.

Shading process increases the caffeine and L-theanine content in matcha tea (1), making it a really excellent alternative to a regular cup of coffee. Matcha contains catechins too, which may provide an anti-oxidative boost, provide an inti-inflammatory activity, lower blood pressure and improve memory (2).

If you want to maximise the potential benefits, always follow the brewing recommendations.

Usually, steeping time and water temperature both play an important role in extracting the nutrients from tea leaves. Is that the case with matcha too?

Matcha tea is a powder, so you can’t steep it like regular loose tea or a tea bag.

However, studies suggest that even though there is no steeping time for making matcha and therefore the time won’t influence the benefits, water temperature will (3). Making matcha with boiling water will make it really bitter, so the next best option is to use the recommended temperature – 80 degrees Celsius.

In terms of providing more potential health benefits, making iced matcha with hot water first may be a slightly better choice.

Final thoughts on how to make iced matcha

Iced matcha is really delicious, and it may offer refreshment, energy boost and many other benefits. Making an iced matcha tea is easy and convenient since you don’t need all the utensils. However, when choosing the right method, keep in mind the desired flavour profile and potential benefits. Iced matcha made with cold water and iced matcha made with hot water taste very similar. Unless you are a regular matcha drinker, you may not notice the difference at all as both will taste great.

Sources:

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213777/

(2) https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5087/htm

(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7796401/

The post How to Make Iced Matcha: Cold vs Hot Water – Tested appeared first on All That Tea.

Let’s first explain the difference.

What are caffeine-free teas?

Caffeine-free teas are all teas that are naturally caffeine free. This means, if you were to harvest and dry yourself, you wouldn’t need to do anything to remove the caffeine.

All real teas come from the Camellia sinensis plant, and they all naturally contain caffeine. All other teas – tisanes – may or may not be naturally caffeinated. Most tisanes are naturally caffeine free and only some will contain caffeine. Some of the naturally caffeinated plants are South American yerba mate, guayusa, yaupon, cocoa bean, guarana, etc.

All real teas – white, yellow, green, oolong, black and dark will contain caffeine. Almost all tisanes (that is, non-Camellia sinensis) will be naturally caffeine-free. And only some tisanes will contain caffeine.

What are decaf teas?

Decaf teas are real teas made from Camellia sinensis plant that went through a process of decaffeination which removes a naturally occurring caffeine from the tea leaf. Caffeinated tisanes are usually not available as decaf teas. All non-caffeinated tisanes are simply called (caffeine-free) tisanes, rather than decaf tisanes. If you see a word decaf, it will imply there were decaffeination processes involved when making a certain tea.

So why would you want to remove caffeine from Camellia sinensis tea leaves and not from other caffeinated plants? Why is there no such thing as decaf guayusa or decaf guarana? There are many answers to this question.

Decaf vs caffeine-free teas – differences

First, Camellia sinensis is a cultural drink, same as coffee is. It’s a healthy drink too, that may offer an entire array of benefits that differ from benefits of tisanes.

1. Health benefits

Potential health benefits of real teas will differ from potential health benefits of tisanes. All real teas will offer similar benefits, with some differences among different types. However, every tisane will have its own traditional use and a distinct set of potential benefits.

There are different methods of removing caffeine from tea leaves. Some methods will impact catechins more than the others and may significantly reduce the total catechin content in tea leaves. This means that the potential benefits will be lower too.

For example, green tea enjoys a reputation of a healthy drink because of a high catechin content and black tea is mostly a cultural drink. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that black tea is more commonly decaffeinated than green. Decaf oolong is more difficult to find, and decaf white tea is quite an exception. Some studies suggest decaffeination may significantly reduce catechins from tea leaves (1).

Since there is no decaffeination process involved with tisanes, the content of beneficial compounds will stay the same.

Should this be of a concern if you are drinking tea mainly for benefits? Yes, and no, as the total amount of catechins extracted from tea leaves will depend on many factors. Your decaf tea may have more catechins that some other non-decaf tea, and vice versa. It’s still good to know which decaf process was used as some techniques are better (and healthier) than others.

Let’s get back to the previous example. A native Amazonian plant, guarana, has 4 times more caffeine than coffee bean (2). And that’s exactly its main purpose — to provide energy. Guarana is rich in catechins and may provide other benefits too, but because of its bitter flavour, it tastes better when mixed with other ingredients or as a supplement. Coffee is bitter too, and there is still decaf coffee out there. That’s because coffee is a world-wide cultural and social drink, just like Camellia sinensis tea, which is not the case with guarana.

2. Flavour differences

The process of decaffeination may change the flavour of tea and some decaf teas may taste blander. Maybe you heard that decaf coffee and teas taste bland, and that could be correct. A study on sensory characteristics of decaf green teas showed that even the most favourable CO2 decaffeination method will impact the flavour (3). The final flavour will depend on the process of decaffeination and tea processing techniques. But if you were to do a blind tasting and didn’t know which tea types you are trying, there’s a high chance you wouldn’t be able to tell its decaf or not.

Flavour is also a reason for decaffeinating Camellia sinensis teas. For example, many tea drinkers drink black tea only because of its flavour and robustness, and tisanes with a naturally occurring caffeine for its energy boosting benefits or cultural importance, rather than just flavour.

Just like all non-decaf teas, all decaf teas will taste differently. This means that even if you don’t like the flavour of one decaf tea, another decaf tea may taste completely different.

3. Number of types

Not all real teas are available in a decaf style, and if you have a specific preference, you may struggle to find the perfect tea. The most commonly decaffeinated teas are black Assam teas, more rarely green teas, and other tea types are almost never available in a decaf style.

That’s because the decaffeination process is usually used for black teas. Another reason is that black teas are the more robust, and they contain the highest amount of caffeine. There are thousands of different caffeine-free teas out there – from common chamomile, mint and rose, to more uncommon types such as chrysanthemum, island moss or elderberry flower tea.

Limited choice doesn’t mean that there aren’t hundreds of decaf teas out there. On the contrary – there are hundreds of good decaf teas available today. This simply meant that only some types of teas, like Assam, Darjeeling, English Breakfast, Mao Feng and Sencha, are available in a decaf style. Rare teas, like Dan Cong oolong or Rizhao green tea, are unlikely to be decaffeinated.

4. Caffeine content

Words decaf and caffeine free may sound alike, but one is not 100% caffeine free. If you really want to avoid ALL caffeine, then caffeine-free teas are a better choice than decaf teas. There’s no such thing as a caffeine-free decaf tea. All decaf teas will contain some caffeine, but that amount will usually be very low, less than a few milligrams per cup.

Some non-decaf caffeinated Camellia sinensis tea leaves may naturally contain a lower amount of caffeine. If you don’t mind a bit of caffeine, try roasted green teas and teas with larger unbroken leaves made from mature plant material. If you are looking for tea with a naturally low caffeine content, Japanese kyobancha and roasted kukicha are both wonderful choices.

There may be a potential advantage of choosing naturally low over decaf teas. For example, no solvents were used to reduce the caffeine content – this happened naturally. Teas that are naturally lower in caffeine are usually made from more mature tea leaves and often roasted.

5. Cultural importance

Rarely any tisane will have such a huge cultural importance as Camellia sinensis teas. Many countries, including China, India, Japan, Morocco, Turkey, and England, have a strong tea culture which includes Camellia sinensis tea. You simply can’t replace an English Breakfast tea blend with a cup of chamomile tea – but you can replace a regular caffeinated blend with a decaf one and still enjoy the (same) flavour. The most readily available decaf teas are teas that are the most popular — pure Assam, English breakfast blends, green Chinese sencha and gunpowder tea and Indian Darjeeling tea. Although rare teas are not usually available in a decaf style, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have a cultural importance. They do, but they are mostly a choice of tea connoisseurs, rather than simply a daily beverage.

Decaf vs Caffeine Free teas recap

Now, when you know the difference between decaf vs caffeine free teas, you can make an informed choice that suits your needs and preferences. If you want to avoid caffeine completely, choose caffeine-free teas, as all decaf teas will contain at least a few milligrams of caffeine per cup. However, all other factors such as flavour and health benefits will solely depend on the tea, not on the type. Both real teas and tisanes may provide many benefits, and many delicious flavours.

The best cup of tea is the one you thoroughly enjoy, and will offer some benefits too, regardless of if they are emotional, physical or social.

Sources:

(1) https://academicjournals.org/journal/JMPR/article-full-text-pdf/4D5793D23342

(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4399916/

(3) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19397734/

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What is Chai Tea?

Chai tea is an Indian milk tea made with black tea, milk and sugar. Even though chai is a very popular drink and India is one of the most important tea producing countries, chai has not been served and enjoyed in India for thousands of years. In fact, the tea production in India didn’t really exist until a few hundreds years ago. Another type of chai, masala chai, is a spiced milk tea, made with spices, milk, black tea and sugar. This type of chai does have roots in Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine with thousands of years of history. However, drinks with black tea, and chai is first and foremost a black tea drink with milk, are quite new.

These days, any drink made with black tea and spices is likely to have the word chai in its name. That includes chai latte too. So, what is the difference? Or, are they the same drink?

Let’s see.

1. What do their names really mean?

Chai may be the most popular spiced tea around the world, but there’s still a lot of misunderstanding behind its name. Both chai tea and chai latte mean tea with milk. Chai actually means tea, which would make chai tea literally mean tea tea. Chai latte means tea latte. Traditionally, tea in India has been prepared with milk, sugar and black tea leaves. Latte in Italian means milk, but when talking about coffee and tea drinks, it’s used to describe drinks made with steamed and frothed milk. Today, chai latte will usually mean spiced black tea, while chai can, but doesn’t need to contain spices. Although, in western countries, it usually does.

2. Chai tea vs chai latte ingredients

The main difference between chai and masala chai is that masala chai contains spices. However, chai latte will always contain spices, not only just black tea, milk and a sweetener.

This meas that both the traditional masala chai and chai latte contain exactly the same ingredients – strong black tea leaves, spices, milk, water and sugar. And not only do they contain the same ingredients, but they can also contain the same ratios, too.  You can make both masala chai and chai latte using instant chai powder, but to enjoy the traditional chai, pure tea and freshly ground spices are a must. Furthermore, instant chai powders usually already contain milk and sugar.

Learn how to make masala chai from a scratch.

Chai latte may sometimes contain more milk than chai tea, and chai tea can sometimes contain more milk than chai latte. That’s because there aren’t any strict rules to follow. However, there some drinks may be more authentic than the others.

Chai tea can also be made with milk only or very very little water. But chai latte will always contain at least 50% water, 50% steamed, although the milk content is often much higher.

3. Is there any different in colour?

Sometimes you may read that chai tea can be made with no milk, or very little milk and that’s the reason it has a darker colour. However, that’s not the case. It may have a darker colour because it’s prepared differently. Chai latte will usually have a lighter colour, but not always.

So why is that? First, a proper chai is made with more tea leaves than latte, and it’s made by simmering the leaves and spices in water and milk. This will give a deeper, more beautiful colour. Chai latte is made by simply steeping tea leaves in water for a couple of minutes. However, if you use more tea leaves for making a latte, then it will be darker than traditional chai. Next, chai latte is sometimes made with powders and concentrates, so there won’t be any steeping involved at all. This will influence the colour too, making it either brighter or darker.

When using real tea leaves, the more milk you add to a chai latte, the brighter the colour will be. However, even is you use the same ingredients and ratios, the colour may still be different.

Learn more about simmering and steeping chai tea and find out why one method is better than the other here.

4. Which one is easier to make?

When making chai from a scratch, chai latte is easier to make. You can simply steep a pre-made loose tea blend or chai tea bag in boiling water, add sugar and steamed and frothed milk. This is the most common method. But to make a proper traditional chai, you will need to boil the tea leaves and spices first, add sugar and milk and use a tea pulling method to improve the texture and flavour. Making a chai latte at home would take up to 10 minutes and making a fragrant chai tea with spices will require over 20. Of course, you could take more time to make a traditional chai and top it up with steamed and frothed milk, and you could make a “traditional” chai by simply steeping a pre-made blend in hot water.

5. The best texture

Even if you start with the same amount of ingredients, when prepared traditionally, chai will have a richer and fuller flavour than chai latte. That’s because spices and tea leaves will be simmered for much longer to release the flavour, the water content will reduce, and the texture will be improved by pulling the tea. Chai latte will have a weaker flavour, less silky texture, but it can still be creamy and rich. Texture will depend on ingredients and steeping time. No matter how well you steam the milk, an authentic chai tea will always have a nicer, fuller texture.

Tea pulling is pouring tea from one vessel into another for several times until small bubbles form.

6. Chai tea vs Chai latte flavour

If you never tried proper chai tea before, you are missing out. It’s more than just a spiced black tea. Proper chai is warming, incredibly rich and has a deep colour. Even the creamiest, best prepared chai latte will feel weak compared to the traditional chai, no matter how much effort you make. To get the best flavour of both drinks, use 2 heaped teaspoons of tea per serving and whole milk. You don’t need to use extra high quality tea leaves. In fact, broken tea leaves and tea dust will work better – they will give a stronger tea base.

7. Which is sweeter?

Another misconception is that chai latte is usually sweeter than chai tea. However, a proper cup of chai or chai masala will always be sweeter and have a more concentrated flavour than chai latte. The sweetness of a chai latte will ultimately depend on your preferences, even if you buy it from a coffee shop. Many of them may taste great and sweet enough, even if you don’t add any sugar. Alternatively, you can choose any sweetener you want, including white or brown sugar, honey, stevia or other sugar alternatives.

Chai tea is made with sugar or jaggery, and not with honey or other sugar alternatives. Without a sweetener, it may be quite bitter and you will notice it definitely needs an extra sweet note to elevate the deep and complex flavour. This is not the case with lattes.

8. Serving difference

Chai tea is usually served from small cups, unlike chai latte that’s mostly available in large servings. Both are best served hot, but you can serve them over ice too. You can store traditionally prepared chai in the fridge and drink when you are ready, but a freshly made cup will taste the best. You can’t do the same with latte without compromising the tea appearance. What makes latte a latte is a layer of foam.

9. The add-ons

You can add some additional ingredients to both of these drinks. A properly made chai tea makes for a wonderful boba tea. All you need to do is add cooked tapioca pearls coated in brown sugar syrup and some ice.

Chai latte taste great iced too, but don’t add boba pearls. Instead, you can serve it with whipped cream or ice cream.

10. Caffeine content in chai tea vs chai latte

Chai tea and chai latte both contain black tea, so they are both caffeinated. However, it’s likely that chai tea will contain more caffeine than chai latte.

First, chai tea is simmered, rather than steeped. Steeping time and water temperature both impact how much caffeine is released. For example, if you use the same tea leaves for 3 infusions, the first one will have the most caffeine, the second one less, and the third one the least. If you steep tea for making chai latte for 3 minutes, you won’t extract all caffeine.

Next, the caffeine content will depend on how much tea leaves you are using, too. If you are using the same amount of tea leaves for making chai tea and chai latte, then it’s likely that a chai latte will contain more caffeine. However, if you use double the amount of tea leaves for making chai latte, then it’s likely it will contain more caffeine than chai tea.

And finally, chai lattes are sometimes made with concentrates or syrups. This will influence the caffeine content, too. That said, it’s likely for chai lattes from coffee shops to contain more caffeine than those that you made at home.

Traditionally, chai tea is made with caffeinated tea. However, if you are making it at home, you may use a decaf tea too. But if you want to buy it from a tea vendor, don’t expect a decaf style. It’s much easier to find a decaf chai latte, both in coffee shops and stores.

11. Which one is more expensive?

When making chai tea and chai latte at home, ingredients for both will cost approximately the same. You can use exactly the same ingredients and exactly the same ratios to make both drinks. The only difference will be the method you use.

However, when buying it from tea shops or coffee shops, a chai latte is likely to be more expensive and always served from a larger cup/mug than traditional chai tea.

12. Calories in chai tea vs chai latte

Both chai latte and chai tea will be calorie rich. While sugar will add calories too, the most will come from milk. Both drinks are also best made with whole (full fat) milk. The type of milk is super important if you want a silky texture. 100 ml of whole milk contains anywhere from 60 to 100 calories. Next, it’s common for chai lattes and chai teas to contain 15-25 grams of sugar per serving, and some may contain up to 35-40. 10 grams of sugar will provide around 40 calories.

Chai tea vs chai latte recap

So, which one is better? Is it the silky and complex chai tea or lighter but silky chai latte? There’s no right answer to this question. If you want a rich flavour and incredibly creamy texture, always make (masala) chai from a scratch. Use fresh spices, strong black tea and simmer it for 15-20 minutes. But if a cup of spiced black tea latte is all you need, chai latte will be much easier to make. Chai latte is easier to customize too, and great for serving iced.

Updated September 21st 2023.

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Tea vs Tisane Comparison

So how different are teas and tisanes? In the last century, western tea lovers weren’t so lucky to have such an enormous variety of teas to choose from. Black tea was mostly called just “black tea” and “green tea” was just “green”. For many tea drinkers, where they came from or how they were made was not necessarily important. The most common tisanes were chamomile, mint, and rosehip, and the most common tea was simply just black or green tea. But that was several decades ago. Today we have thousands of teas and tisanes to choose from, and that number keeps getting bigger each day.

So, what makes them different? First there’s the plant type.

1. Teas and tisanes are made from different plants

It’s a common fact that all tea is made from Camellia sinensis plant, and all tisanes are made from flowers, leaves, fruits, roots, seeds and bark of all other plants that are not Camellia sinensis. In theory, every edible plant, or part of a plant, can be steeped in water. However, the Camellia sinensis plant is not the only plant used for making real tea.  

Real teas can be made from different varieties and cultivars of Camellia sinensis plant, but they can also be made from plants that belong to another Camellia botanical genus. Unless you are drinking lots of pure specialty tea, it’s likely you won’t come across Camellia taliensis or even more uncommon Camelia ptilophylla teas. So most real teas are made from Camellia sinensis plant.

Let’s compare this to the simple tisane – mint tea. The most common mint tea is Mentha piperita. Mentha is the botanical genus, and piperita is the botanical species. In the same way, Camellia is the botanical genus, and sinensis is the species. Therefore, you are more likely to try different species of Mentha plant than Camellia plant, such as spearmint or Mentha spicata.  

2. Teas can be processed into 6 different types

There are 6 main types of tea – white, yellow, green, oolong, black and dark. Although there are thousands of different tisanes, most are made in the same way – usually simply dried.

But it gets more interesting. There are thousands of subtypes of white, yellow, green, oolong, black and dark teas and they will all have a very different flavour. Most tisanes made from the same plant will have a similar flavour. For example, there are many types of chamomile and mint tea, but their flavour will depend on the plant, rather than processing methods.

Camellia sinensis teas get their flavour not only from the cultivar, but different processing methods, too. You can’t find steamed or roasted and aged chamomile, but you can find steamed green tea, oven baked oolong, or even aged white teas. There are a few exceptions among tisanes, though. For example, green and red rooibos, and green and roasted yerba mate and yaupon.

Real teas undergo a complicated processing method. Most tisanes are simpler, and they are usually only dried. In fact, you can make your own herbal tea by simply drying mint, chamomile, nettle or other plants, but it’s not so easy to make proper green or black tea at home – although it is possible.

All real teas undergo many processing steps, and it’s not uncommon to have over 10 steps until you get the perfect tea. 

3. Both can contain caffeine and be caffeine free

Most tisanes are caffeine free, and almost all teas contain caffeine. But there are exceptions in both categories. Some of the most popular caffeinated herbal teas are yaupon, guayusa and yerba mate. Guarana, another caffeinated plant, is often an ingredient in herbal energy tea blends. Camellia ptilophylla, a plant from Camellia botanical genus, is naturally decaffeinated, and still belongs to “real teas”. However, this tea is very rare.

4. All of them may provide antioxidant properties

Antioxidants properties in teas and tisanes come from different substances that can fight free radicals. (Source: Harvard Chan) Many substances can be categorized as antioxidants, and each tisane and tea will contain them, but not all of them are the same. The most mentioned antioxidant properties in green tea come from catechins, and in black tea from theaflavins. They are both polyphenols. (Source: NCBI) Tisanes contain polyphenols too. For example, rooibos is rich is aspalathin and ginger in gingerol. (Source: Science Direct, NIH) Each tea and tisane will contain different substances that may provide antioxidant properties. Which benefits they may provide and how potent they are will depend on their overall composition and other factors – for example, such as how you brew them and how fresh they are.

5. Tea vs tisane brewing

Brewing tea is an art, brewing tisanes is a habit. Making a cup of herbal or fruit tea is usually a straightforward process. You can use boiling water for almost all of them, and steep them for 5 or more minutes. Many of them will never be bitter, no matter how long you steep them for. But making a perfect cup of real tea is often an art and may require some patience and skills and many of them may be bitter if you over-brew them. In fact, all tea ceremonies include real teas rather than tisanes. There are different cups and teapots for different teas, but no one has ever invented a special teapot for making chamomile tea.

Tea vs Tisane Recap

Teas and tisanes are separate categories, but they may have some characteristics. If you are looking for benefits, both may provide them. If you want to explore flavours, there are thousands to explore in both categories. The main difference is in processing and brewing methods and caffeine content – almost all real teas will always contain caffeine, and almost all tisanes will be caffeine free. What’s certain is that there is a right tisane and a right tea for everyone.

Explore teas and tisanes to try here.

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