Does Chai Tea Have Cinnamon?

Last updated on August 5th, 2022 at 09:23 pm

When you take your first sip of chai tea, the spices can overtake your palate. You start to taste several different spices all at the same time. 

You enjoyed your first sip and are now hooked, chai tea is your new favorite drink. You taste a familiar flavor and are trying to figure out just what it is that you are tasting. 

Is it cinnamon you taste in chai tea? 

Most chai teas are made with cinnamon. However, there are different types of chai teas that do not include cinnamon as well. 

Masala chai for example may not contain cinnamon, whereas a regular chai would. If you prefer cinnamon in your chai, always ask to be sure that is one of the spices they use in creating your tea. 

What Ingredients Are In Chai Tea? 

Have you ever wondered what ingredients make up your favorite drink? 

If you like coffee, you know that it is made from coffee beans. If you prefer a carbonated beverage, like soda, your drink comes from carbonated water and syrup. 

What about chai tea? You know it has hot water, but what else? What are the ingredients that make up your favorite drink, chai tea? 

Chai tea will typically have the following ingredients: 

• black tea
• milk
• cardamom
• cinnamon
• ginger
• star anise
• cloves
• pepper
• coriander
• nutmeg
• fennel
• A sweetener

The base of chai tea is almost always black tea. There are different variations, but almost always, chai is made of black tea. 

Chai will almost always include milk as well. You can incorporate different types of milk, but usually, it is made with whole milk. 

When it comes to the spice portion of chai tea, there are several different spices that make up your tea.

Cardamom is the most common spice that is found in chai tea. It will also include cinnamon, ginger, star anise, cloves, pepper, coriander, nutmeg, and fennel. 

There is no right or wrong way to use these spices. Some find that the coriander is a bit overpowering and will leave it out. Others prefer chai tea with just cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. 

Your chai tea is not complete without some sort of sweetener. With all these spices, it can be like drinking straight from your spice rack. 

The sweetener, in addition to the milk, can make this spice-filled drink much better. Plain white sugar is the most common sweetener found when making chai but some people also prefer honey. 

You can also use unrefined sugar, but typically white sugar is the best option. 

Does Chai Tea Have Caffeine? 

If you are looking for a good pick-me-up, you need something with caffeine. Typically coffee is the go-to drink to get your morning started. 

If you’re feeling a bit drowsy throughout the day, there’s always Red Bull to give you wings. If you are looking for something healthier than a Red Bull or cream-filled coffee, is chai tea an option? 

Chai tea does contain caffeine, but not as much as one would think. In a cup of chai tea, there is roughly anywhere from 30-50 mg of caffeine. 

Coffee on the other hand will have around 100-120 mg of caffeine. If you are looking to replace your midday Red Bull, which has around 100-110 mg of caffeine, chai tea might not be the best option. 

While there is caffeine in chai tea, it might not be enough to put some pep back in your step. 

Is Chai A Cinnamon?

Chai tea has such a strong spice flavor. With all the many spices that make up this delicious drink, it’s no wonder it’s a favorite among tea drinkers. 

In India, the word chai simply means tea and is a staple drink that can be found almost anywhere. In America, we have adapted the word chai and turned it into a flavor of tea. 

Is chai also a spice or simply just the name of the tea? 

Chai is simply just a name for a specific tea. While there is cinnamon in chai, chai is not cinnamon. 

Chai is a name for tea in most other countries. In America, chai is the name to describe a spice tea or scent. 

Are There Any Health Benefits In Cinnamon?  

Chai tea is made up of cinnamon and many other spices. Are there any health benefits that come from adding the spice cinnamon to this delicious drink? 

Would you still receive the health benefits from cinnamon if you were to add it to other various drinks? 

There are several different health benefits that you can get from eating and drinking cinnamon. Here are a few reasons why you should add cinnamon to your daily diet. 

• Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties. Cinnamon can help reduce inflammation in your body. Cinnamon is full of antioxidants which are great in helping your body fight against inflammation. Are your joints feeling a bit off and stiff? Drink some chai tea and let the antioxidants from the cinnamon help fight off inflammation. 

• Cinnamon can help your heart. Heart disease is one of the world’s most common causes of premature death. Cinnamon has been shown to help reduce the risk for heart disease. Cinnamon can help increase your good cholesterol levels to help counteract the bad cholesterol you may get from other foods. Cinnamon has also been proven to help lower blood pressure, which is also linked to heart disease. 

• Cinnamon can help improve your insulin. Insulin is known as the key hormone that helps regulate your metabolism. If your insulin is out of whack, your body feels fatigued all the time. By adding cinnamon to your diet, you can improve this hormone. Cinnamon has been known to reduce insulin resistance which allows it to work much better. You can increase insulin sensitivity by drinking cinnamon, the insulin can then help in lowering your blood sugar levels. 

• Cinnamon can help fight bacterial and fungal infections. The main active component in cinnamon is cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamaldehyde can help your body fight off harmful bacterial and fungal infections. Since cinnamaldehyde has antifungal and antibacterial properties, it can also help fight bad breath and tooth decay. 

• Cinnamon can aid in regulating blood sugar. Cinnamon will not only promote good insulin but can also decrease the amount of glucose that enters your bloodstream after eating. The cinnamon will interfere with your digestive enzymes and slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates in your digestive tract. By decreasing the amount of glucose and the production of insulin, cinnamon promotes healthy blood sugar levels. 

Final Thoughts 

Next time you reach for a cup of chai tea, remember that all the ingredients are working together in your favor. 

Cinnamon in chai tea has so many beneficial health benefits. Chai tea might just become your new favorite drink on the menu.