Today Is National Chai Day!!!

“I love a good chai,” is what my wife will often say to me as we visit coffee shops and cafés.  It’s her “go-to drink” and also the litmus test for whether or not we will make a return visit to a new place.  September 21st is National Chai Day.  We have already starting celebrating by getting a couple of chai lattes after our morning walk.

With hints of autumn in the air, we tend to rediscover our love for a warm beverage.  I spend my entire summer ordering iced drinks. Since I don’t like hot coffee, chai is a more than suitable alternative.

According to legend, chai was created some 5000 years ago for an Indian king for medicinal purposes.

The word chai means “tea” in Hindi but the original drink didn’t contain tea at all.

During the British occupancy of India, tea was believed to be a drink of the upper class or those in high-standing.  It is also when the milk and sweetener were added creating the modern-day “chai latte.”

Whether it’s iced or pumpkin spiced, stop by your favorite café today to celebrate National Chai Day.