Got a piece of good news? Celebrate it over a cuppa … A cranky colleague stressing you at work? Go and let off steam at a kitli (tea stall)… Got nothing to do?  Freak out with your cronies over multiple cups of tea. Well, tea for us is a one-stop-solution for all our moods and moments, isn’t it? No small wonder that the consumption volume of tea in India was approximately one billion kilograms during the financial year 2020!

But having the same masala chai would be quite boring, wouldn’t it? How about adding herbs and spices as an accompaniment to your tea to up the antioxidants and health benefits in addition to tasting great and jump-starting your day? 

So here’s sharing a peep into what can go into your tea to spice it up

Cardamom

Their smoky, spicy and fragrant nature make cardamom pods a must-have ingredient for your tea. Moreover cardamom boosts our immunity power and improves oral and heart health too. While green cardamom is intensely fragrant; black cardamom is relatively muskier and smokier.

Cinnamon

Basically a bark, this is one of the most popular ingredients to spice up common tea thanks to its delightful warming taste. The added plus is the antioxidant properties that it brings to your cuppa.

Cloves

These are basically little flower buds grown on clove trees that are harvested and dried in the shape of little nails. They are available in both whole and ground forms and bring-in a sweet spicy flavour to teas alongside alleviating toothaches and nausea. 

Ginger

Indigenous to China, this root is quite potent and adds zing to any tea besides warding off nausea and stomach cramps brought on by heat.

Mint

Their pungent fragrance adds a unique dash to your cup of tea alongside easing digestive woes, menstrual cramps and clogged sinuses.

Besides the above mentioned herbs and spices that are commonly used to spice up tea there are some other spices also that show up in chai mixes like - 

Black Peppercorns

Adds a spicy bite to tea which only those with a developed taste may savour 

Coriander Seeds

They add a sweet and citrusy note to your tea

Fennel Seed

These lend a gentle liquorice flavour to your cuppa

Star Anise

This one’s for those tea consumers who prefer a darker, sweeter liquorice flavour vis-à-vis the one provided by fennel seed

But with chai coming in a plethora of forms and flavours — we may not want to restrict ourselves to these nine spices and herbs unless we want to initiate a minor tea war here, eh?

So go ahead and add a dash of a spice or two in your tea and hey… don’t forget to let us know which one you most enjoyed!