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loose leaf chai teas

Shop online for loose-leaf chai teas sourced directly from the artisan farmers who tender them. A gift from India, chai tea is a mixture of tea and a variety of spices synonymous with Indian cuisine. Alongside the classic Masala Chai, you'll discover many other tea varieties blended with aromatic flavours such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves. All of our chai teas are blended in-house using artisan teas and only the very best spices and natural flavors. Our direct-trade sourcing ensures superior taste, freshness and value.

5 products

masala chai
masala chai
14p / cup
rooibos vanilla chai
rooibos vanilla chai
14p / cup
spiced apple chai
spiced apple chai
14p / cup
thai chai
thai chai
14p / cup
honeybush pumpkin chai
honeybush pumpkin chai
14p / cup

What Is Chai Tea?

Chai tea — or more accurately, masala chai — is a spiced tea that originated in India and has become one of the most popular hot beverages in the world. The word "chai" simply means "tea" in Hindi; "masala chai" means "spiced tea." In Western usage, "chai tea" has come to refer specifically to the Indian spiced tea tradition — a combination of black tea and warming spices that varies by region, household, and blender but typically includes some combination of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove, and black pepper.

Adagio's loose leaf chai collection is blended in-house — using quality loose leaf teas, whole spices, and natural flavourings. The result is a chai that smells like the real thing when it's brewing and tastes like it in the cup.



The Loose Leaf Chai Tea Collection

Masala Chai

The classic Indian spiced tea — cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, and clove on a bold Assam black tea base. Adagio's Masala Chai is blended specifically for the whole-leaf format: the spice proportions are calibrated to the slower, gentler extraction of a properly brewed loose leaf steep rather than the rapid extraction of a teabag or the instant character of a concentrate. Brew it strong, add steamed milk, and the result is a masala chai latte that rivals anything you'd find in a good café — at a fraction of the cost.

Thai Chai

An interpretation of the classic Thai iced tea tradition in loose leaf form. Thai Chai uses a spiced black tea base with a flavour profile that leans toward the sweet, vanilla-forward, and aromatic rather than the bold spice intensity of masala. Cold brewed and served over ice with a pour of condensed or coconut milk, it's one of the most visually striking iced teas in the range — the effect of milk swirling through the dark orange chai concentrate is the reason Thai iced tea has been photographed on restaurant tables for decades.

Rooibos Vanilla Chai

All the masala chai spice character — with a soft vanilla note — on a naturally caffeine-free rooibos base. Rooibos Vanilla Chai is the answer to the question "what do I drink when I want chai but not caffeine?" — and the answer is genuinely satisfying rather than a compromise. The rooibos base adds its own natural sweetness and earthy warmth that complements the chai spices rather than competing with them. A natural choice for evenings, for caffeine-sensitive drinkers, and for anyone who wants a chai latte after dinner without the consequence.

Spiced Apple Chai

Warming chai spices with the sweet, fruity character of autumn apple — cinnamon and cardamom forward, with the apple note adding a natural sweetness that makes this the most approachable chai in the collection for anyone who finds masala chai's pepper and ginger intensity a little much. The spice blend is fully present but rounded by the fruit, producing a cup that is immediately accessible and deeply comforting. Works as well cold brewed over ice as it does hot.

Honeybush Pumpkin Chai

Warming pumpkin and chai spices on a naturally caffeine-free honeybush base — the seasonal chai for anyone who wants the autumnal spice character without caffeine. Honeybush's natural honey-like sweetness complements the pumpkin and spice profile particularly well, producing a richer, more dessert-like cup than a rooibos base achieves. A natural evening chai and an ideal milk-tea candidate — brewed double-strength with steamed oat milk, it becomes one of the most comforting caffeine-free lattes in the range.



How to Make a Chai Latte at Home

The chai latte is the most popular way to drink loose leaf chai — and it's simpler to make at home than most people expect. Here's the method:

  1. Brew double-strength — use two teaspoons of loose leaf chai per 250ml of boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes. The extra tea compensates for the milk you'll be adding.
  2. Strain the chai — remove the leaves using your infuser, ingenuiTEA, or a fine strainer.
  3. Heat or froth your milk — dairy, oat, almond, or coconut milk all work. An inexpensive electric milk frother produces the café-quality foam that makes a latte feel like a proper latte. Or simply heat the milk in a small saucepan until steaming.
  4. Combine and serve — pour the frothed milk over the chai concentrate. Adjust the ratio to taste — more milk for a milder latte, less for a stronger spice character.

For an iced chai latte: follow steps 1 and 2, allow the concentrate to cool, pour over a glass full of ice, and add cold milk. Oat milk is the most popular choice for iced chai lattes — its natural sweetness complements the spice blend and the texture holds up well over ice.



How to Cold Brew Chai Tea

Cold brewing chai tea produces a smoother, less assertive result than hot brewing — the cold extraction draws out the sweet and aromatic spice compounds whilst leaving behind some of the bolder, more pungent elements that hot water releases. For Thai Chai in particular, cold brewing produces the most naturally balanced result:

  1. Add two teaspoons of loose leaf chai per 250ml of cold water to a jar or pitcher
  2. Stir briefly to ensure the tea is fully submerged
  3. Refrigerate for 12 hours
  4. Strain and serve over ice, with or without milk

Cold-brewed chai keeps in the fridge for 3–4 days — make a batch on Sunday evening and have iced chai to hand through Thursday without any additional effort.



Chai Tea Health Benefits

The spices in masala chai have each accumulated a long tradition of use in culinary and herbal practice — and each attracts ongoing research interest:

  • Ginger — one of the most widely used botanicals in herbal and culinary traditions worldwide. Ginger's gingerol compounds are the subject of ongoing research interest, and ginger has a long tradition of use for digestive comfort and warming support.
  • Cinnamon — used in traditional herbal practice across many cultures for centuries, and the subject of ongoing research interest for its antioxidant activity and other associations. One of the most studied warming spices.
  • Cardamom — traditionally associated with digestive support; increasingly the subject of research interest for its antioxidant properties.
  • Black pepper — contains piperine, a compound that has attracted research interest for its interactions with other plant compounds. A traditional and flavourful component of the spice blend with centuries of culinary and herbal use.
  • Clove — one of the most antioxidant-rich spices available, and the subject of ongoing research interest for its botanical properties.

Combined with the antioxidants and L-theanine naturally present in the black tea base, masala chai is one of the most botanically rich hot beverages available — warming, comforting, and made from ingredients with centuries of traditional use behind them.



Chai Tea Caffeine Content

Standard loose leaf chai teas — Masala Chai and Thai Chai — are built on a black tea base and contain approximately 40–70mg of caffeine per 250ml cup, comparable to a moderate cup of coffee. The exact amount depends on the strength of the brew, the proportion of tea to spice in the blend, and the steeping time.

For caffeine-free chai options, Rooibos Vanilla Chai and Honeybush Pumpkin Chai both deliver full spice character on naturally caffeine-free bases. For anyone who wants chai flavour in the evening or for anyone who avoids caffeine for any reason, either is a genuinely satisfying choice.



Chai Tea as a Gift

Loose leaf chai makes an exceptional gift — specific, indulgent, and immediately usable by anyone who owns a mug and a kettle. A chai sampler covering the range of Adagio's spiced blends lets the recipient discover which style suits them best without committing to a large pouch of each. Pair with a travel infuser or the ingenuiTEA infuser for a complete chai gift that includes everything needed to brew the very first cup at home.



Buy Loose Leaf Chai Tea Online

Browse the full loose leaf chai tea collection above — Masala Chai, Thai Chai, Rooibos Vanilla Chai, Spiced Apple Chai, Honeybush Pumpkin Chai, and more. Order loose leaf chai tea online and have it delivered from our UK warehouse with free UK delivery on qualifying orders. Also available in pyramid teabags.

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