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Dirty chai vs chai latte: what's the difference?

A dirty chai is a chai latte with a shot of espresso added. A chai latte is spiced black tea and steamed milk, sweet and warming; the espresso in a dirty chai adds coffee flavour and a bigger caffeine kick.

The differences

A dirty chai

Dirty chai

A chai latte with a shot of espresso in it — "dirty", as a café says of any drink with coffee added to one that had none.

How the café in Cuppology builds it

  1. Start with a hot cup.
  2. Pour in the chai concentrate: 80 ml.
  3. Pour in the espresso: 30 ml.
  4. Pour in the steamed milk: 110 ml.

What the café accepts as a dirty chai

  • Chai concentrate 50–160 ml
  • Milk 80–200 ml
  • Milk 40–75 °C
  • Shot: ristretto or espresso or lungo
  • Coffee 18–70 ml
A chai latte

Chai latte

Chai concentrate — black tea brewed strong with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and clove, and sweetened — topped with steamed milk, about half and half.

How the café in Cuppology builds it

  1. Start with a hot cup.
  2. Pour in the chai concentrate: 100 ml.
  3. Pour in the steamed milk: 120 ml.

What the café accepts as a chai latte

  • Chai concentrate 50–160 ml
  • Milk 80–200 ml
  • Milk 40–75 °C

Which should you order?

Pick a dirty chai when you want both your spice and your coffee. Pick a chai latte for something cosy and gentler on caffeine.

Make both in Cuppology →

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