Anyone who knows me well knows I love chai lattes. I've tried making them myself, but they never seem to come out right. The balance of spice, milk, and honey (or any sweetener of choice) is a delicate one, and my $10 milk frother doesn't seem to be up to the challenge. Perhaps one day I'll give it another go, but for now I'm content to let Oren's and Joe's brew my chais.
What most of us think of as chai is really "chai masala latte," spiced tea with milk (chai = tea; masala = mixed/spiced; latte = milk). "Chai" itself is really just a generic term for tea in the Indian subcontinent. The chai lattes sold in the West today derive their inspiration from this original, simple beverage but deviate from it quite a bit and are usually over-sweetened, in my opinion.
Oren's brews its own chai from scratch, mixing tea, cardamom, cinnamon, anise, peppercorn, and cloves (or some variation on that theme). I order it with soy milk and honey.
If your only option is Starbucks, I'd recommend ordering it with less of the chai mix than they normally use, cutting back on sweetness and calories. Also consider asking them to make it without water--tastes infinitely better when it's just milk and chai.
Enjoy!
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