Best Masala Chai in India: I’ve been drinking chai my whole life, and I’ll tell you straight—the best cup I ever had cost eight rupees at a random stall in Varanasi. No fancy setup, just an old man with a beat-up pot and magic in his hands.
Mumbai’s cutting chai is legendary for good reason. That small glass packs a punch—strong, spicy, with burnt sugar notes that wake you right up. The Irani cafes do it best, though the roadside guys near local train stations come pretty close.
Kolkata surprised me. Their chai is sweeter, heavier on cardamom, served in those clay kulhads that add this earthy flavor you can’t get anywhere else. College Street area—that’s where you want to go. The students know their chai.
Delhi’s got variety because everyone’s here. You’ll find every regional style. But the chai wallahs at Khari Baoli spice market? They’re sitting on the freshest spices in the country. You can taste the difference.
Down south in Kerala, they do this weird thing with lemongrass and curry leaves in their masala chai. Sounds wrong, tastes amazing. The coastal cities especially—Kochi’s got some hidden gems.
Railway station chai deserves mention. It’s usually too sweet, served in those plastic cups, but there’s something about drinking it on a platform at dawn that makes it taste perfect. Agra Cantt station does a particularly good version.
Here’s my take—the best masala chai comes from places where they’ve been making it the same way for years. Not following recipes, just muscle memory and instinct. The ginger’s always fresh, the cardamom crushed just before use, the milk full-fat and never watered down.
Forget the Instagram-worthy cafes. Find the small stall where locals queue up every morning. That’s where the real magic happens.
