It's a traditional Indian drink. Its original version is prepared with warming spices, including ginger, cardamom, anise, cloves, and pepper. It's a mild blend of black tea. In this post, we'll discuss the benefits of Masala Cha tea, its ingredients, and side effects.
Each ingredient provides individual benefits , including its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, which lower blood pressure and cholesterol, making it excellent for preventing cardiovascular disease. It not only has healing qualities, but also nutritional ones.
The recipe varies from family to family, which is why buying pre-made masala chai can give you a different flavor. The classic recipe blend can be bought at the store, but you're sure to find other versions.
Benefits of Masala Chai Tea: History
A very productive tea-producing area in India is Assam, where locals considered it a medicinal beverage rather than an everyday drink. British colonists began cultivating it in the 1830s. By 1900, tea cultivation in India accounted for 50% of that consumed in Great Britain.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the English promoted it to mine and textile factory workers during their breaks, because consumption in India was still very low.
At first, the Indians began drinking it by mixing English tea with some local spices, giving rise to the tea we know today.
How to prepare Masala chai tea
Traditional Masala Chai Tea
Among the benefits of Machala chai tea is its stimulating effect, which doesn't cause side effects like coffee. Instead, it revitalizes and provides the energy needed to start the day. This is the traditional recipe.
Ingredients:
- A teaspoon of black tea.
- A cinnamon stick.
- 240 ml of water.
- Four cloves.
- A teaspoon of grated ginger.
- 2 dried black pepper berries.
- Honey to sweeten.
- 6 cardamom pods.
Preparation method:
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, mixing them with your hand or a wooden spoon.
- Boil the water and pour in the ingredients, including the black tea.
- Remove from heat and let it infuse for 5 minutes.
- Strain and sweeten with honey.
- It is best to drink it warm.
Masala Chai Tea with Citrus
This is a variation on the traditional recipe, except the cinnamon needs to be replaced with a citrus fruit, such as orange or lemon. We'd use the peel and juice.
Ingredients:
These ingredients are for 3 or 4 cups.
- 10 grams of ginger.
- 8 gr of black tea.
- Peel of an orange.
- 8 cloves.
- 6 cardamom berries.
- ½ liter of water.
- Honey to taste.
How is it prepared?
- The preparation is the same as traditional Masala Chai tea , the only thing is to infuse the orange peel, instead of the cinnamon.
- The juice is poured into it from the beginning.
- You can try this drink with or without milk.
Benefits of masala chai
Tea has been drunk for 2,500 years, it's delicious, and it has many properties . Below are the benefits of masala chai tea .
It is anti-inflammatory
Clove, cinnamon, and ginger are the ingredients that give it anti-inflammatory properties, helping to relieve the pain of arthritis and other similar conditions. Ginger has properties similar to those of ibuprofen, suppressing inflammatory molecules.
Takes away nausea
Drinking masala chai tea is an excellent option if you're feeling nauseous, thanks to the ginger's effects. It will also relieve the feeling of vomiting and the discomfort of motion sickness (sickness during travel) and nausea caused by chemotherapy.
Ginger has two compounds: gingerol and shogaol, which relieve inflammation, making it an ideal option for those with stomach discomfort.
Fights free radicals
Another benefit of masala chai tea is that it inhibits the effects of aging, due to its antioxidant content, especially polyphenols. It helps eliminate free radicals, which cause oxidation in cells.
Helps in digestion
Masala chai tea has digestive properties, helping to digest fats and proteins. When combined with the right spices, like those found in masala chai tea, it also benefits the gut.
Prevents cardiovascular diseases
Cinnamon is the ingredient that provides protection against heart disease. It also controls blood sugar and maintains cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Studies show that cinnamon is beneficial for lowering blood pressure and even helps fight degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Fight depression
Thanks to its caffeine content, it helps combat symptoms associated with depression, such as listlessness, drowsiness, and lack of concentration. Caffeine energizes and invigorates the person. It soothes the mind and body, and cardamom is also a good stimulant.
Prevents Alzheimer's disease
People with Alzheimer's suffer from a deficiency in the tau protein, which accumulates in neurons rather than spreading. This causes impaired brain activity. Cinnamon prevents this protein from accumulating, thus preventing Alzheimer's.
Reduces blood pressure
Another benefit of masala chai tea is its cinnamon, one of its ingredients that helps lower blood pressure. This is said to be due to cinnamon's vasodilatory action.
