Chai means tea. The word came from the Chinese cha into Hindi and many other languages. In English-speaking countries, chai tea usually means spiced milk tea, which in India is called masala chai.

Kiri tea (kiri thé) is Sri Lankan milk tea: strong Ceylon black tea with milk, usually milk powder, and sugar, frothed by pouring from a height. It contains no spices.

Is chai tea the same as masala chai?

In English-speaking countries, yes in practice: chai tea is the name used for spiced milk tea. Sri Lankan milk tea, kiri tea, is different because it has no spices.

Why is Sri Lankan milk tea poured from a height?

Pouring the tea back and forth from about 30 cm mixes in the milk, cools it slightly and gives it a thick froth on top, the way tea shops serve it.

Can I use fresh milk instead of milk powder?

Yes. For 2 cups, simmer 4 tsp of tea in 125 ml of water until reduced by about half, add 600 ml of whole milk, heat until it just starts to bubble, then sweeten, strain and froth.

Does chai tea contain caffeine?

Yes. Plain tea, kiri tea and masala chai are all made with black tea, so they all contain caffeine. The amount depends on how much tea is used and how long it brews.

Chai Tea Explained, with a Kiri Tea Recipe

Name: Chai Tea and Sri Lankan Milk Tea (Kiri Tea)
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: 400 ml water; 4 tsp loose-leaf Ceylon black tea (a strong broken grade such as BOP or BOPF), or 2 tea bags; 4 heaped tbsp full-cream milk powder (about 40 g); 3 to 4 tsp sugar, to taste

Chai simply means tea. The word came into Hindi and many other languages from the Chinese cha, and across South Asia a cup of chai is whatever tea people drink every day. In English-speaking countries, though, chai tea has come to mean one particular drink: black tea simmered with milk, sugar and spices, which in India is called masala chai. So when a cafe menu says chai tea, it means spiced tea, even though the phrase literally says tea twice.

In Sri Lanka the everyday tea is not spiced at all. People drink strong Ceylon black tea either plain, often with sugar or a piece of jaggery on the side, or as kiri tea (kiri thé), sweet milk tea frothed in the cup. This page explains the different teas that go under the name chai and gives a recipe for Sri Lankan kiri tea. For the spiced version, see our masala chai recipe with Ceylon tea.

How to make Sri Lankan milk tea (kiri tea)

Serves 2
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

400 ml water
4 tsp loose-leaf Ceylon black tea (a strong broken grade such as BOP or BOPF), or 2 tea bags
4 heaped tbsp full-cream milk powder (about 40 g)
3 to 4 tsp sugar, to taste

Method

Warm the cups. Fill two cups with hot water and leave them to warm while you make the tea.
Brew the tea. Bring the water to the boil in a small saucepan, add the tea, lower the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until the liquor is a deep reddish brown.
Mix the milk. Put the milk powder and sugar in a heatproof jug and stir in 2 tablespoons of the hot tea to make a smooth paste, so that the powder does not form lumps.
Strain. Strain the rest of the tea into the jug and whisk until the milk powder has dissolved completely.
Froth. Pour the tea back and forth between the jug and a second jug or large cup, from a height of about 30 cm, 5 or 6 times, until it has a thick, light froth on top.
Serve. Empty the warmed cups and pour in the tea, froth and all. Drink it hot.

What is the difference between kiri tea and masala chai?

Kiri tea is Sri Lankan milk tea: strong black tea, milk and sugar, with no spices. It is usually made with milk powder, and the tea is brewed first and the milk added afterwards.
Masala chai is the Indian spiced tea: black tea, milk and sugar simmered together with cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and often black pepper. Our masala chai recipe makes it with Ceylon tea.
Chai latte, as sold in Western cafes, is usually a sweet spiced syrup or powder mixed with steamed milk, and often contains little brewed tea.

All three share a strong black tea and plenty of milk and sugar, but they taste quite different: kiri tea is all about the tea itself, while masala chai and chai lattes are led by the spices.

What is plain tea in Sri Lanka?

Plain tea, sometimes called kahata in Sinhala, is black tea without milk, and it is the most common cup on the island, drunk first thing in the morning, during the working day and in the evening. It is usually sweetened with sugar, or drunk unsweetened while nibbling a small piece of jaggery, the dark palm sugar. Milk tea is the more filling, slightly special cup, often taken at breakfast or with a snack in the afternoon.

How do Sri Lankan tea shops make it?

Small tea shops, known as tea kades, are found in towns and villages across Sri Lanka and are everyday meeting places, where people stop for a cup of tea and a snack. Plain tea and kiri tea are the staples. The tea is brewed strong and kept hot, milk powder and sugar are mixed in the glass, and the tea is then poured from one vessel to another at arm's length until it foams. Pouring from a height mixes in the milk, cools the tea slightly and gives it the thick froth that marks a good tea-shop cup.

Can you make kiri tea with fresh milk?

Yes, and many Sri Lankans living abroad do. For 2 cups, simmer 4 tsp of tea in 125 ml of water until it has reduced by about half and turned dark, then add 600 ml of fresh whole milk and heat it over a medium-low heat, stirring now and then. Take it off the heat as soon as the milk starts to bubble up, sweeten, strain and froth as in the card. The result is creamier and less sharp than the milk-powder version.

Which tea should you use?

Use a strong broken-grade Ceylon black tea such as BOP or BOPF, or an everyday strong black tea bag. These small-leaf grades brew quickly and give the dark, full-bodied liquor that milk needs; delicate whole-leaf or flavoured teas get lost under milk and sugar. Spiced tea blends sold as chai are for masala chai, not for kiri tea.