Masala Chai is a unique blend of rooibos and body-warming spices that create a savory and spicy cuppa.

All about Masala Chai, Loose Leaf Chai

What it’s like, and how to make it

CaffeineCaffeine free
TypeChai, rooibos
CharacterSpiced, savory
What’s in itrooibos, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, white pepper, clove, nutmeg.

Perfect for

  • Latte ready
How to brew it
  • 212°F / 100°C
  • Steep 4–5 minutes
  • Use 1 tsp per 8oz
  • Or simmer in milk for five minutes for the masala style

Beyond the cup

The caffeine-free chai — drink it at midnight without regret. Steep strong into oat milk for a bedtime latte. Infuse into cream for a chai-spiced panna cotta or rice pudding. Works beautifully in baking where you want warm spice flavour without the caffeine kick — scones, muffins, overnight oats.

  • Masala Chai loose leaf tea, shown over a chalk-and-watercolour illustration
  • Illustration: Masala Chai with an Indian railway platform at dawn
  • Illustration of Masala Chai in The Tea & Spice Shoppe pouch, with an Indian railway platform at dawn
  • Masala Chai - The Tea & Spice Shoppe
  • Masala Chai - The Tea & Spice Shoppe

What’s in it

Every herb in the blend, and where to read about it on its own.

  • Herb · Caffeine-free

    Ginger

    Zingiber officinale

    The universal connector — ginger appears in more products than any other ingredient in the collection. The dried root is chemically distinct from fresh ginger: drying converts gingerols to shogaols, which are about twice as pungent, and that is why dried ginger tastes deeper and...

    Pungent, warm, slightly sweet, citrusy (fresh); warm, mellow, deep (dried)

    Learn more Sold on its own

  • Spice · Caffeine-free

    Cinnamon

    Cinnamomum verum, C. burmannii, C. loureiroi

    The inner bark of a laurel tree, peeled, dried and curled into quills. Three different trees are sold under the one name, and the shop carries all three: Ceylon (Cinnamomum verum), the soft, papery, floral one from Sri Lanka; Korintje (C. burmannii) from the Kerinci...

    Sweet, woody, warm — Ceylon floral and citrusy, Korintje smooth and familiar, Saigon bold and fiery-sweet

    Learn more Sold on its own

  • Spice · Caffeine-free

    Cardamom

    Elettaria cardamomum

    Green pods holding small black seeds, from a ginger-family plant of the Western Ghats — floral, resinous and eucalyptus-cool, quite unlike anything else in the cupboard. It is the third most expensive spice in the world after saffron and vanilla, which is why it is...

    Floral, resinous, eucalyptus-cool and sweet-warm; the main volatiles are terpinyl acetate and eucalyptol

    Learn more Sold on its own

  • Spice · Caffeine-free

    Black Pepper

    Piper nigrum

    The dried unripe berry of a climbing vine — the mill on every table, and the most travelled object in any kitchen. Black, white and green pepper are all the same berry, picked at different moments and treated differently: black is picked unripe and dried...

    Warm, woody, resinous and sharp; the bite is piperine, roughly a hundredth as potent as capsaicin

    Learn more Sold on its own

  • Spice · Caffeine-free

    Cloves

    Syzygium aromaticum

    An unopened flower bud, picked and dried until it looks like a small nail — which is where the name comes from, via Latin clavus. Cloves are the loudest spice in the cupboard: eugenol makes up somewhere between 45 and 90 per cent of the...

    Hot, sweet, numbing and medicinal-warm

    Learn more Sold on its own

  • Spice · Caffeine-free

    Nutmeg

    Myristica fragrans

    The seed of a fruit that also gives us mace — mace is the red lace wrapped around the shell. Nutmeg is warm, sweet and distinctly pungent, and it is one of the few spices where grating it fresh makes an unmistakable difference: whole nutmeg...

    Warm, sweet and pungent; noticeably brighter grated fresh than pre-ground

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  • Tea · Caffeine-free

    Rooibos

    Aspalathus linearis

    Not tea. Rooibos is a needle-leaved shrub of the pea family that grows in one mountain range in the Western Cape and nowhere else, and since 2021 the name has been legally reserved for it. It is the base of thirty-three products here for one...

    Honey, dried fruit and vanilla with a little wood; smooth, naturally sweet, never bitter. Green rooibos is malty and slightly grassy

    Learn more Sold on its own

  • Spice · Caffeine-free

    White Pepper

    Piper nigrum

    The same berry as black pepper, picked ripe and treated completely differently. White pepper is made by retting: the ripe berries are soaked in water for about a week until the flesh softens, then rubbed clean down to the pale inner seed. That soaking is...

    Sharper and more direct than black pepper, less aromatic, with a faintly earthy fermented note

    Learn more Sold on its own

Every ingredient in the shop →

What it goes with

Caffeine-free curry night. Sip this alongside anything you’d season with our Garam Masala — same spice family, zero buzz. Pair with our Cinnamon and Nutmeg for a cozy baking session that runs as late as you want.

Reviews

What the time-travelers say

206 of the shop’s 213 reviews are five stars — left by people who actually bought the tea

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If you have had it, you would be the first to say so — and the shop reads every one.

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Great products and great service

I had a slight mix up on my order, they were quick to reply and correct my order with no issues. Amazing service and great…

I had a slight mix up on my order, they were quick to reply and correct my order with no issues. Amazing service and great products.

— Nick C. Verified

Great tea

A lovely, delicate tea. The peach is strong without being overwhelming or cloying, and the calendula is a nice addition. Very…

A lovely, delicate tea. The peach is strong without being overwhelming or cloying, and the calendula is a nice addition. Very tasty!

— Zoe R. Verified

Maple Peach

The maple peach is delicious. What a beautiful combination. I will most definitely order it again, and a higher quantity of it.

— Gerda S. Verified

Always handy

I use dillweed often. This dill is fresh and has a nice aroma. I use it in marinades, salad dressings, and on fish. Good stuff.

— Jennifer D. Verified

Great stuff

This has helped my household a lot with circulation and alertness when we had it everyday. Will be ordering again soon. Thanks

— Dave G. Verified

Love this tea. Hands down my fav rooibos. This store is our one-stop-shop for tea and spice. Great service, top notch product.…

Love this tea. Hands down my fav rooibos. This store is our one-stop-shop for tea and spice. Great service, top notch product. 10/10!!

— Erin Poeta P. Verified

Delicious

I love this black tea, it has a really nice smooth flavour and love how it’s Swiss water method decaf. Will be buying again!

— Jessica A. Verified

Great flavorful tea

Toffee Ole is one of our favorite teas to share with friends in the evening, when we want something non-caffeinated but quite…

Toffee Ole is one of our favorite teas to share with friends in the evening, when we want something non-caffeinated but quite flavorful.

— Joel R. Verified

Another full bodied ‘real tea’ . ie It is not a flavoured tea. However, we do very much enjoy the Cafe Latte tea which is a…

Another full bodied ‘real tea’ . ie It is not a flavoured tea. However, we do very much enjoy the Cafe Latte tea which is a flavoured tea!!!

— Ted H. Verified

teas

love , love, love and they shipping is very fast. the headache tea works great, the throat coat tea works great as well

— Miranda A. Verified

4 stars

It worked beautifully; perhaps if I add a little more honey, it would make it better… It is a wellness tea, after all!

— Merrilee B. Verified

Bancha with a splash of lemon

A wonderful Green Tea. Smooth in taste. Also suitable as a summer tea with a splash of lemon. A second infusion makes an…

A wonderful Green Tea. Smooth in taste. Also suitable as a summer tea with a splash of lemon. A second infusion makes an enjoyable second cup!

— Monika F. Verified

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