Bombay Spiced Chai Green Tea

A distinctive green-tea take on masala chai, blending Chinese Zhen Mei with whole cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger for a warming, aromatic cup with a fresher, lighter character than traditional black-tea chai.

The Experience

Bombay Spiced Chai Green Tea brings two tea traditions together: the fresh, gently assertive character of Chinese Zhen Mei green tea and the warming spices associated with Indian masala chai.

Instead of the robust black-tea base typically used for chai, this blend begins with Zhen Mei, a classic Chinese green tea known for its slightly brisk, vegetal character. Whole cardamom provides aromatic warmth, cinnamon adds a naturally sweet impression, cloves contribute depth, and pieces of ginger bring a lively spicy finish.

This tea is warming without being heavy, spiced without hiding the tea, and noticeably fresher than a traditional masala chai. It is an excellent choice for chai lovers looking to explore beyond black tea.

Tasting Notes

Top: Cardamom • Ginger
Mid: Cinnamon • Fresh green tea
Finish: Clove • Warming spice • Vegetal
Body: Medium

Why You’ll Love It

• An unusual green-tea interpretation of chai
• Chinese Zhen Mei green tea provides more freshness than a traditional black-tea base
• Whole cardamom, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon
• No added flavoring listed—the spice comes from the actual spices in the blend
• Medium-bodied and aromatic
• Warming without the heaviness of many traditional chai blends
• An interesting bridge between Chinese tea and Indian-inspired spice traditions
• Delicious straight or lightly sweetened

Tea & Ingredients

Tea Type: Spiced Green Tea
Base Tea: Zhen Mei Green Tea
Flavor Profile: Cardamom • Ginger • Cinnamon • Clove
Ingredients: Zhen Mei green tea, whole cardamom, cloves, ginger, cinnamon
Added Flavoring: None listed
Caffeine: Caffeinated
Body: Medium

How to Brew

Because this blend uses green tea rather than black tea, we recommend treating the leaf more gently than a traditional chai. Use approximately 1 heaping teaspoon per 8 oz / 237 ml of water at 180–185°F / 82–85°C and steep for approximately 2–3 minutes.

Start around 2½ minutes and adjust to taste. Longer infusions will intensify both the spices and the underlying green tea but may also increase astringency. We recommend trying your first cup straight before adding anything. A little honey or sugar can bring the spices forward, but heavy milk can obscure the lighter green-tea foundation.

Perfect For

Bombay Spiced Chai is particularly suited to chai lovers curious about green tea, green-tea drinkers who enjoy warming spices, cool-weather afternoons, or anyone looking for a chai profile that feels lighter and fresher than a traditional black-tea version. Pair it with samosas, savory pastries, spiced nuts, shortbread, ginger cookies, rice dishes, mild curries, or cardamom pastries.

What Happens When You Replace Black Tea with Green Tea in Chai?

Traditional masala chai is generally built around a strong black tea because the tea needs enough structure to remain present alongside spices, milk, and sugar. Bombay Spiced Chai changes that equation.

Zhen Mei green tea has a lighter body and fresher vegetal character. That means the spices interact with the tea differently:

• Cardamom → aromatic, complex warmth
  
• Cinnamon → rounded, naturally sweet-tasting spice
  
• Ginger → lively warmth and a little bite
  
• Clove → deeper, more penetrating spice
  
• Zhen Mei → vegetal freshness and gentle astringency

Instead of bold tea + spice, the experience becomes more like fresh tea + aromatic spice. That distinction is what gives this blend its personality.

What Is Zhen Mei?

Zhen Mei—also commonly romanized as Chun Mee—is a traditional style of Chinese green tea. Its name is often translated as “Precious Eyebrow,” referring to the curved shape of the finished leaves.

Compared with the sweet chestnut character of some Chinese green teas, Zhen Mei can have a brisker, more assertive vegetal profile with a gently tangy or astringent edge.

That makes it a smart choice for this blend. An extremely delicate green tea could disappear underneath cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and clove. Zhen Mei has enough personality to remain part of the conversation.

Chai Is a Style, Not a Fixed Recipe

There is no single universal recipe for masala chai. Across India—and from household to household—the choice and proportion of spices can vary dramatically. Cardamom, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, fennel, and other spices may all appear.

This blend is even further removed from a traditional preparation because its foundation is Chinese green tea rather than Indian black tea. For that reason, we think of Bombay Spiced Chai as a creative green-tea interpretation inspired by masala chai, rather than presenting it as a traditional Indian chai. That distinction allows us to appreciate both traditions without confusing them.

Should You Add Milk?

You can—but this isn't the chai where we'd start. A traditional robust black-tea masala chai is strong enough to stand up beautifully to substantial amounts of milk. Green tea is more delicate.

For your first cup, taste Bombay Spiced Chai straight. If you want a softer cup, experiment with a small amount of milk rather than immediately preparing it like traditional milk-heavy chai. A little honey can also round the spices without covering the Zhen Mei underneath.

If what you really want is the classic rich chai + milk + sugar experience, our Traditional Masala Chai Black Tea is the better starting point.

Packaging: Our loose teas are sold by the ounce and packaged in food-grade resealable bags.

Explore More Green Tea

Bombay Spiced Chai Green Tea (This Tea)
Cardamom • Ginger • Cinnamon
→ Best for: green-tea drinkers who want warming spice without moving to a heavy black-tea chai

Traditional Masala Chai Black Tea
Ginger • Cinnamon • Cardamom
→ Best for: a full-bodied traditional-style chai that stands up beautifully to milk and sugar

Zhen Mei Green Tea
Vegetal • Brisk • Classic
→ Explore next if: you'd like to taste the Chinese green tea at the foundation of this blend without added spices

Bangkok Blend Green Tea
Coconut • Lemongrass • Ginger
→ Try next if: you enjoy ginger but prefer creamy tropical and citrus notes over traditional chai spices

Bancha Green Tea
Grass • Sweet pea • Smooth
→ Try next if: you'd like to move from a flavored blend into an unflavored Japanese green tea