There are so many different types of chai. And although milk tea latte is amongst the popularly known beverages, there are so many different tasting kinds even in this category. All the tea we use comes from the same plant which has utmost two varieties. But where it is grown and is nurtured determines its taste. The climatic conditions and the soil type and texture make the product taste a bit different from the other. Countries as close as India and China who are both mass producers of tea produce different tasting experiences of the same tea.

The process…

Other than the origin of the tea which makes the difference, the process of making the tea in itself also matters. Black tea is the most common. However, green tea for example is not made the same way. There is even white tea which goes through a very slow process and is therefore quite unique in its flavour. The process also changes by locality and one can notice the difference in milk tea latte in the north and south of the same country.

The flavours of black tea:

The famous Assamese chai is the black tea. It has a strong aroma and a malty taste. It’s colour is dark red and is very commonly found in India. Darjeeling in India is not very far from Assam. The tea produced there are of two types; first flush and second flush. The tea is extraordinary of its kind and very aromatic. The First flush produces the astringent flavour and the Second flush produces the fruity flavour. The First and Second flush are distinguished by the different growing seasons of tea. The Nilgiri tea is also quite famous for its aroma. The Srilankan chai is golden amber in colour and its taste is a bit fruity when added with a bit of milk. Chinese tea is also of different types. The Keemum is a rich red aromatic tea. Its taste is almost wine like. The Lapsang Souchong tea is withered over open fires of pine and has a smoky taste to it. The Yunnan chai is the expensive and aromatic one in China. It has a very unique spicy flavour to it. Red in colour, it is known as ‘mocha of tea’.

Oolong and green tea:

Oolong tea is in between black and green tea. It is a very mellow and fruity flavoured tea. Usually pale yellow in colour, it is low on caffeine. The process involves withering, partly fermenting and drying. The Green tea however does not go through the oxidation process. It is steamed or heated on a pan and then rolled and dried. It also has a mellow flavour with a pale yellow or green colour on it. It is considered to be a bit more expensive than the regular black tea.

The most expensive White tea:

It goes through no fermenting at all and very less processes compared to other types of tea. The tea buds are simply withered and dried. It is the most expensive form of tea and has a flowery sweet taste to it.

Tea is a fresh aromatic drink no matter which kind. The popular one is black tea with its strong flavours, it makes an amazing latte. The other kinds also have unique flavors based on the context of their production. Also being a fast paced world, there are many pre-mix milk tea latte available too in the market. One such with an awesome flavour is the BondiChai club cinnamon flavour which I happened to taste while in Singapore. Having its origin in Australia, this wonderful premix tea latte has spread to Singapore. It is available in vanilla flavour too. Getting captivated by choice is the trend. Have a sip and get addicted!