“Chai” isn’t one drink — it’s a whole category. Across Pakistan, India, and neighboring regions, chai varies dramatically depending on how it’s brewed (water-first vs milk-first), what’s added (spices, salt, saffron, baking soda), and how strong it’s made. Some varieties — like Karak and Doodh Pati — are intensely strong and milky. Others — like Sulaimani and Kahwa — skip milk entirely. And some, like Kashmiri Noon Chai, are famously pink and slightly salty. Below are 18 distinct varieties, what makes each one different, and where you’re most likely to find it.
Chai Is Not One Drink — It’s a Whole Family of Drinks
If you’ve only ever had chai from one source — a single restaurant, a single friend’s house, a single tea bag labeled “chai latte” — you’ve experienced maybe one or two percent of what chai actually is across South Asia.
The differences aren’t subtle. Some chai varieties use no milk at all. Some are famously pink. Some are so strong they’re served in small cups specifically because a full cup would be overwhelming. Understanding these varieties isn’t just trivia — it’s the difference between thinking “chai” means one thing, and understanding it as a whole spectrum of drinks connected by a shared idea: tea, prepared with intention, often shared with someone.
Here are 18 varieties, organized roughly by how common and widespread each one is.
1. Doodh Pati — “Milk and Tea Leaves”
Where it’s from: Karachi and Sindh, but popular nationwide. How it’s made: Tea leaves are boiled directly in milk (rather than water), often with sugar added during the boil. This produces an intensely rich, creamy, strong cup. What makes it different: The absence of water in the base — it’s essentially a tea-flavored boiled milk rather than milk added to tea.
2. Karak Chai — The Strong One
Where it’s from: Found across Pakistan, especially at street stalls; also extremely popular in the Gulf region among South Asian communities. How it’s made: Tea is boiled for an extended time with a relatively small amount of milk, producing a very concentrated, bold flavor — “karak” literally means “strong.” What makes it different: The boiling time and tea-to-milk ratio — it’s designed to be intense, often served in small glasses.
3. Sada Chai — “Plain” Everyday Chai
Where it’s from: Common across Punjab and much of Pakistan as the default home-brewed chai. How it’s made: Water and tea leaves are boiled first, then milk is added afterward and brought back to a simmer. What makes it different: The water-first method gives a lighter, more balanced cup compared to milk-first methods like Doodh Pati.
4. Masala Chai — The Spiced One
Where it’s from: Found across South Asia, often for guests, special occasions, or winter. How it’s made: Built on a base similar to Sada or Doodh Pati chai, with spices — typically cardamom, and sometimes cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, or ginger — added during boiling. What makes it different: The spice blend, which varies significantly by household and region — there’s no single “correct” masala chai recipe. If you want to make this at home, see our full masala chai recipe.
5. Sulaimani Chai — No Milk, Just Black Tea and Lemon
Where it’s from: Coastal regions and some urban cafes, with roots connected to trade routes and Yemeni/Arab influences. How it’s made: Black tea brewed with lemon (or sometimes lime) and occasionally a touch of spice, with no milk at all. What makes it different: It’s one of the few common South Asian chai varieties that’s completely dairy-free, with a noticeably lighter, slightly tart profile.
6. Kashmiri Chai (Noon Chai) — The Pink One
Where it’s from: Kashmir region and parts of northern Pakistan. How it’s made: A specific type of tea leaf is boiled with baking soda — which causes a color-changing reaction — and the tea is aerated (often by pouring it back and forth) until it develops a distinctive pink hue. Milk and salt are typically added. What makes it different: The color and the salt — “Noon” refers to salt, and the flavor profile is noticeably different from sweet chai varieties.
7. Kahwa — Green Tea with Saffron and Nuts
Where it’s from: Kashmir and parts of Central Asia. How it’s made: Green tea leaves brewed with saffron, cardamom, and often crushed almonds or walnuts — no milk. What makes it different: The use of green tea as a base (rather than black tea) and the saffron-nut flavor profile make this one of the most distinct entries on this list.
8. Irani Chai — Café Culture Chai
Where it’s from: Associated with old “Irani cafes” historically found in Karachi and parts of India, reflecting Persian influence on local cafe culture. How it’s made: Often a strong, milky tea served alongside a small dish of condensed or extra-creamy milk that can be added separately. What makes it different: The cafe ritual around it — often served with bun-makhan (bread and butter) and associated with a slower, more social way of drinking chai.
9. Elaichi (Cardamom) Chai
Where it’s from: Widespread across South Asia as a popular single-spice variation. How it’s made: A standard chai base (often Sada or Doodh Pati style) with crushed cardamom pods added during boiling — and nothing else. What makes it different: It’s essentially a simplified, single-spice version of masala chai, focused entirely on cardamom’s floral, slightly sweet aroma.
10. Adrak (Ginger) Chai
Where it’s from: Extremely common across South Asia, especially during cold weather or when someone has a cold. How it’s made: Fresh ginger (often crushed or grated) is boiled along with the tea, adding a sharp, warming spiciness. What makes it different: Often considered as much a remedy as a beverage — frequently the “go-to” chai when someone isn’t feeling well.
11. Dum Chai — Slow-Steamed Chai
Where it’s from: Found in various regional variations, often associated with a more elaborate preparation method. How it’s made: “Dum” refers to a slow-cooking or steaming method — the tea is left to steep and develop flavor over a longer period, sometimes with the pot sealed, similar to how dum biryani is slow-cooked. What makes it different: The extended, low-and-slow preparation process, which produces a deeply infused flavor.
12. Cutting Chai — The Small, Quick Cup
Where it’s from: Associated with street-side tea stalls across urban South Asia. How it’s made: Not a different recipe so much as a different serving size — a small “half cup” portion, traditionally served in small glasses, designed for a quick break rather than a leisurely sit-down. What makes it different: The portion size and the social ritual — often shared or split between two people, hence “cutting” (cutting a cup in half).
13. Tandoori Chai — Smoked Chai
Where it’s from: A more modern, cafe-driven trend that has gained popularity in recent years. How it’s made: A hot clay cup (heated in a tandoor oven) is used to “smoke” the chai as it’s poured in, imparting a distinct smoky aroma and slightly caramelized flavor. What makes it different: The smoking technique itself — this is more about presentation and aroma than the tea recipe.
14. Zafrani (Saffron) Chai
Where it’s from: Found in more premium or special-occasion contexts across South Asia. How it’s made: A standard milky chai base infused with a small amount of saffron, giving it a golden hue and distinct aroma. What makes it different: Saffron’s cost and flavor make this more of an “occasion” chai than an everyday one.
15. Lemon Chai
Where it’s from: Common in cafes and as a “lighter” alternative to milk chai across the region. How it’s made: Black tea brewed and served with lemon, sometimes with a touch of honey or sugar, no milk. What makes it different: Similar to Sulaimani but typically simpler — fewer additional spices, more focused on the tea-and-lemon combination alone.
16. Kashmiri Green Tea (Sheer Chai Variations)
Where it’s from: Northern regions, particularly areas influenced by Kashmiri and Central Asian tea traditions. How it’s made: Variations on green tea bases — sometimes with milk (creating a “sheer,” meaning milky, version), sometimes without, often with nuts or dried fruit. What makes it different: The use of green rather than black tea as the foundation, which is relatively unusual in mainstream Pakistani chai culture.
17. Sweetened Spiced Milk (No Tea Leaves)
Where it’s from: Sometimes served to young children or those avoiding caffeine, across many households. How it’s made: Milk boiled with sugar and sometimes a small amount of cardamom or saffron — without any actual tea leaves. What makes it different: It’s not technically “chai” in the tea sense, but it’s often served in the same context (the same cup, the same ritual moment) as a caffeine-free alternative, especially for kids.
18. Dirty Chai — The Western Fusion Entry
Where it’s from: Western cafes, particularly in the US — not a traditional South Asian variety, but worth including because of how often it’s confused with “real” chai. How it’s made: A chai latte (often made from a spiced syrup or concentrate rather than loose tea leaves boiled the traditional way) with a shot of espresso added. What makes it different: The espresso, and the fact that the “chai” base is usually a sweetened concentrate rather than freshly boiled tea, milk, and spices — a genuinely different drink that happens to share a name. If you want to make one at home, see our dirty chai latte recipe.
Why “Chai” Means So Many Different Things
What ties all 18 of these together — even the ones with no milk, no sugar, or no tea leaves at all — is less about the ingredients and more about the role the drink plays: a moment, a pause, something prepared with intention and often shared. We explored this idea in why Pakistanis drink tea 5 times a day — the “what” varies enormously, but the “why” stays remarkably consistent.
Quick Reference — Milk, Spice, and Strength at a Glance
| Chai Type | Milk? | Spices? | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doodh Pati | Yes — milk-first | Optional | Very strong |
| Karak | Yes — minimal | Optional | Very strong |
| Sada | Yes — added after | No | Medium |
| Masala | Yes | Yes — blend | Medium-strong |
| Sulaimani | No | Sometimes | Light |
| Kashmiri Noon Chai | Yes | Salt, not spice | Medium |
| Kahwa | No | Saffron, nuts | Light |
| Adrak (Ginger) | Yes | Ginger | Medium-strong |
Which of these 18 chai types matches your personality?
Take our quick quiz to find out whether you’re a Karak, Doodh Pati, Sulaimani, or Masala chai person — and what that says about you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many types of chai are there?
There isn’t a single official count, since chai varies by region, household, and personal preference, but South Asia is home to dozens of recognizable chai styles. This guide covers 18 distinct varieties spanning Pakistan, India, and neighboring regions, ranging from everyday milk teas to spiced, salted, and even pink-colored versions.
What is the strongest type of chai?
Karak chai is widely considered one of the strongest common chai varieties, made by boiling tea leaves for an extended time with less milk relative to the amount of tea, producing a concentrated, bold flavor. Doodh pati chai is also very strong due to its milk-boiling method, though its richness comes more from creaminess than pure tea intensity.
What chai has no milk?
Sulaimani chai, common in coastal and southern regions, is typically made without milk — usually black tea with lemon and sometimes spices like cardamom or cloves. Kahwa, found in Kashmir and parts of Central Asia, is another milk-free option, made with green tea, saffron, and nuts.
What is pink chai called?
Pink chai is typically called Kashmiri chai or Noon chai, found in Kashmir and parts of northern Pakistan. Its distinctive pink color comes from a combination of specific tea leaves, baking soda (which causes a color-changing reaction), and the way the tea is aerated during preparation, often resulting in a slightly salty flavor profile.