Ask any Indian about their morning ritual and chai will be at the top. But what separates an ordinary cup of chai from a truly satisfying one? The answer almost always comes down to the tea itself. Not all teas are made equal, and when it comes to making kadak chai or strong milk tea, only one type of tea consistently delivers: Assam CTC black tea.
What Makes a Tea Good for Milk Tea?
Making chai with milk is fundamentally different from brewing a cup of tea with just water. When you add milk to tea, the fat and protein molecules in the milk bind with the lighter flavour compounds in the tea. A delicate or mild tea will simply disappear in the milk. What you need is a tea that is bold enough to dominate even after milk is added.
The three qualities that make a tea good for milk tea are:
- ◆**Strong liquor**: The tea must produce a deep, intense colour and flavour when brewed
- ◆**High tannin content**: Tannins give tea its briskness and body, which prevents the flavour from being washed out by milk
- ◆**Fast extraction**: Especially for CTC tea, which is boiled rather than steeped, the tea must release its flavour quickly in boiling liquid
Why Assam CTC Tea Is the Gold Standard for Chai
Assam CTC tea scores highest on all three qualities. The Camellia sinensis var. assamica plant native to Assam naturally produces leaves with higher catechin and tannin content than the Chinese variety (var. sinensis) grown in Darjeeling and the Nilgiris. The CTC processing method then maximises extraction by breaking the leaf into small granules that release their compounds rapidly in boiling water.
The result is a tea that gives instant colour, produces a strong malty liquor, and holds its character even when milk and sugar are added. This is why virtually every chai stall, dhaba, and tea brand in India uses Assam CTC as the base for their chai.
How Kitaya and TeaGate Compare
Kitaya Industries offers two tiers of Assam tea for different preferences.
Kitaya Assam Bold Black Tea is our everyday CTC tea, crafted for the classic kadak chai experience. It brews a deep, mahogany-coloured cup with strong malt notes and a briskness that cuts through milk beautifully. Available in 250g at Rs 70 and 1kg at Rs 300, it is priced for daily family use without any compromise on quality.
TeaGate Assam Premium Tea is sourced from select premium Assam gardens and undergoes more careful processing and grading. It produces a refined, richer cup that still makes excellent chai but also works well as a standalone black tea. Available in 250g at Rs 100 and 1kg at Rs 400.
Both teas are 100% Assam sourced, tested in our NABL accredited laboratory, and carry our FSSAI certification.
How to Brew Kadak Chai with Assam CTC Tea
For two strong cups of kadak chai, use one cup of water and one cup of full-fat milk. Add 2 heaped teaspoons of Assam CTC tea to boiling water and let it boil for one minute until the water turns deep brown. Add sugar to taste. Now add the milk and bring it back to a rolling boil. As the chai rises to the top, reduce heat and simmer for 90 seconds. Strain and serve immediately.
The key mistakes that produce weak chai are using too little tea, adding milk before the tea has coloured the water properly, and not boiling long enough after adding milk.
Other Teas Compared
Green tea is not suitable for chai at all. Its light, grassy flavour disappears completely in milk. Darjeeling tea can be used for a milder chai but lacks the body for a truly kadak cup. Nilgiri tea produces a pleasant cup but does not match Assam for malt and briskness.
For authentic kadak Indian chai that delivers bold flavour, strong colour, and satisfying body, Assam CTC tea from Kitaya Industries remains the best choice available.
