How to Make Cardamom Chai Tea – The Easy Way to Savor Authentic Flavor

Cardamom is more than just a spice—it's an invitation to elevate your daily rituals. Known for its bold aroma and naturally warm, slightly sweet flavor, cardamom has long been a staple in global cuisines, from Indian curries to Middle Eastern desserts. But one of the most cherished ways to enjoy it is in a steaming cup of masala chai or spiced coffee. Often referred to as “The Queen of Spices,” cardamom offers a rich, fragrant layer that transforms ordinary drinks into extraordinary moments.

Whether you're adding depth to baked goods or looking for the perfect spiced tea to unwind, cardamom delivers. Available in pods, seeds, or ground powder, it's incredibly versatile and pairs beautifully with both sweet and savory dishes. But if you're looking for a faster, no-fuss way to enjoy this iconic spice, Tea India has made it simple.

Tea India Cardamom Chai Tea Bags and Instant Cardamom Chai Latte Mix are expertly crafted to deliver authentic, bold flavor in every sip—no steeping skills required. Just add hot water and enjoy a café-style experience from the comfort of your home.

What Is Cardamom? 

Cardamom is a pod spice that comes from the ginger family. They are spindle-shaped, with a triangular cross-section and each pod has a number of seeds. The entire pod can be added to dishes, or you can use it ground in teas and cakes. The seeds inside the cardamom pod are tiny and black, but you can get pods of different colors and sizes depending on the species that you buy. Cardamom has a couple of varieties, both black cardamom and green cardamom are the main ones, and you can even find white cardamom. This is pretty much the same as green cardamom, though it's been bleached. You can find green cardamom pods used in Middle Eastern cuisine and in Nordic recipes, but the Indian and Asian recipes generally tend to have both used throughout their recipes. A little more information on both pod types includes the following:

• Green Cardamom (Elettaria). This is what's known as "true" cardamom as it's the most common variety found in your local store. It's the main choice used for the sweeter dishes, but you can use them through for savory dishes, too. You'll find green cardamom growing in Malaysia, India and Costa Rica. Green cardamom is bleached to white sometimes, and you can buy it this way, too.
  
  
• Black Cardamom (Amomum). Easily distinguishable from its sister, black
  cardamom has larger pods that are mostly dark brown. The flavor is slightly different, smokier than the green pods and that's one of the biggest reasons it's great for savory dishes. In India, black cardamom is used in sweet dishes! You'll find black cardamom growing in the eastern Himalayas.

In Indian recipes, cardamom is used as a whole pod. Sometimes, it's toasted in oil just to flavor the oil before meat is cooked, but in rice preparation you can find whole pods that are left in the rice to give it that aromatic taste. In Middle Eastern recipes, cardamom is usually used in its ground form, spicing certain desserts.

How To Make Cardamom Tea 

If you've never heard of it, you're missing out. Cardamom tea works very well and has a very strong flavor. You don't need much to make cardamom tea - you only need the black or green cardamom pods. A few pods are enough for a strong cup of cardamom tea, and if you want to release most of the flavor, you just need to crush them gently in a bowl, reduce the heat a little and boil them down for 15 or so minutes. Strain the pods, and you'll then add sweeteners if you need it.

If you want something a little more flavorful, you can blend your cardamom with other spices like cinnamon or ginger. It's used in comforting herbal tea blends and in chai tea because it's delicious. Brewing these spices and cardamom pods in boiling water helps those aromas to release easily. Gently add bubbling - not boiling - milk to complete the recipe. Strain it all and mix for a treat before bed. You can also make cardamom black tea, which is the simplest type of tea that you can make. Brewing Assam black tea leaves with gently crushed pods will help you to make a great drink.

Buy From Tea India

For the best cardamom tea around, check out the options with Tea India. We offer authentic teas from India.