Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Chai blend base
Black tea
CTC black tea
Black tea
Why these two get confused
Both small-particle CTC Assam, and the chai base is simply CTC selected for a specific job. Judging either as a plain cup misreads what it was manufactured for.
Point by point
| Dimension | Chai blend base | CTC black tea |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Black tea · fully oxidised | Black tea · fully oxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → CTC (crush, tear, curl) → Oxidation → Drying. year round harvest. | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying. year round harvest. |
| Origin | India — Assam | Not recorded for this tea. Blends have components rather than a place. |
| Flavour | nutty and earthy. full bodied, astringent and rich in the mouth. Aroma: strong malt, tannin, dark bread. Straightforward in character. Bold in intensity. | roasted. full bodied, astringent and drying in the mouth. Aroma: brisk malt, stewed fruit. Straightforward in character. Bold in intensity. |
| Brewing | Chai preparation: 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 300s. | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 98–100 °C, first steep 150s. Tea bag brewing: 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 150s. |
| Cultural context | Not recorded for this tea. | Used in British everyday tea drinking, Chai culture in India, Chaiwallah and street tea culture and Cha chaan teng culture. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants the cup to assert itself and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew and takes milk. | Someone who wants the cup to assert itself and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew and takes milk. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.