Ever wondered where we get all the names for tea from? I was looking for a chai tea smoothie recipe and discovered that in saying ‘chai tea’ I’m actually saying ‘tea tea’ for the word ‘chai’ means ’tea’.
I also saw it called ‘cha’ which got me curious so I went looking to find out why the different names.
So if you are interested, I have a very brief history. And if you are not interested you can jump to the end for the smoothie recipe which comes from Candace at TheWheatlessKitchen.
Please turn to the Next Page (click button below) for So What’s this about Tea Tea? …
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So What’s this about Tea Tea?
As I said, chai tea is a misnomer as we are really saying ‘tea tea’ when we say that according to Julie R. Thomson, writing at the Huffington Post, who tells us …
In India, the word chai refers to any and all kinds of tea. What we know as chai — the spicy, milky brew that warms us to our core — is actually called masala chai. Masala refers to a combination of spices in Indian cuisine; masala chai then directly translates to spiced tea. Once masala chai made its way across various oceans, it dropped its first name and become lovingly referred to as just chai.
It would appear that, in a nutshell, ‘chai’ is Indian, ‘cha’ is Chinese and Japanese, and ‘tea’ comes from one specific region of China where they called it ’te’ pronounced ’tay’ which became ‘tea’.
The writer at GoldenMoonTea tell us …
In the 1600’s, the Dutch were a major player when it came to international trade. Because of this, they were one of the first Westerner cultures to trade tea and import it to Europe.
Their first contacts were in the Fujian Province in China and since they called tea “te” (pronounced “tay”), they introduced the beverage to the European masses under that name.
[And] … in the 1800’s, the English changed the pronunciation from “tay” to “tee.” This is where we get the word “tea.”
… In Japan they use the “original” version of the beverage “Cha.” This is why almost all Japanese teas have the word “cha” in it (Sencha, Hojicha, Genmaicha, Matcha).
Well, whatever you want to call it please turn to the Next Page (click button below) for the recipe: Pumpkin Chai Smoothie …
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Recipe: Pumpkin Chai Smoothie
Did you know that pumpkin + chai spice is one of the best Fall flavor combos ever created? Well, now you do, and you have to start using this combo in all of your recipes ASAP. You will not regret it. It’s not just about the pumpkin spice, people!
[Candace at TheWheatlessKitchen]
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 3 pitted Dates OR 1 frozen Banana
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp EACH of Cardamom, Ginger, Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves
- 3/4 cup unsweetened Almond Milk (more/less depending on how thick you want it)
Optional: 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
Blend and enjoy.
Recipe: TheWheatlessKitchen
Other Sources: HuffingtonPost; GoldenMoonTea
Photo: TheWheatlessKitchen
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