The Best Store-Bought Chai Concentrate Is Also The Freshest

Masala chai is a unique and ancient blend of warm, flavorful spices that are combined with black tea (chai simply means tea in Hindi, while masala refers to the spices). These days, masala chai is usually sweetened with sugar and thickened with a bit of milk. It's not difficult to brew at home on the stovetop, but making a decent masala chai from scratch does take a bit of time and effort, alongside a lot of high-quality ingredients. Thankfully, there are many great masala chai concentrates available to purchase as a shortcut, and one tea brand makes one of the best. 

In Tasting Table's ranking of eight store-bought chai concentrates, from worst to best, we found that Rishi Organic Masala Chai Concentrate was not only the best-tasting, but also looked to be the freshest too. The masala chai concentrate isn't our only favorite Rishi product either, as they make one of the best loose-leaf peppermint teas as well as one of our favorite ceremonial-grade matcha powders. We loved the full-bodied taste of the Rishi concentrate; the spices were upfront and strong but not overwhelming, and it was still balanced with a spicy sweetness. The chai contains a medium amount of caffeine with about 100 milligrams per serving, or about the same as an average cup of coffee, and less than a double shot of espresso.

Rishi Organic Masala Chai Concentrate uses wild-grown black tea along with real spices (which we could actually see in the concentrate itself) like cinnamon from Vietnam, cloves and black pepper from India, ginger from Southeast Asia, and cardamom from Guatemala. But rather than it being chunky or separated, the concentrate's visible spices meant that it had a wonderful depth of flavor from the use of real spices rather than flavorings, which can be difficult to achieve in a packaged concentrate.

A member of the Tea subreddit on Reddit enthused that they really rate Rishi's masala chai concentrate because it's the only variety they've "found that is actually spicy" (however they don't love the higher price tag). Reviews on the product's website are overwhelmingly positive too, with one customer stating, "This is my favorite masala chai. If you love spicy masala, this is for you! This is the BEST quality." 

Another reviewer raved about the spicy notes, pointing out that the concentrate is "very aromatic — one's head clears as the delicious spiciness envelops the taste buds first and then the senses." While the overwhelming majority of reviews are glowing, there are a few people who wish it contained less sugar, with one customer complaining that, "The flavors are absolutely glorious, but it is far too sweet!"