You might be fascinated by what makes this Kashmiri tea pink. With no artificial colorings or dye, Kashmiri chai is an amazing, beautiful tea that seemingly turns pink magically. And no, Himalayan pink salt does not make this Kashmiri chai tea pink!

This Kashmiri pink tea is an example of a classic science experiment: a lesson in pH indicator (acid-base experiment). But beyond the cool chemistry, it’s a classic beverage that many families enjoy in India, Pakistan, Kashmir, and beyond. It’s salty, sweet (if you choose), refreshing, and creamy!

So, here’s how to make a delicious Kashmiri chai at home!

What is Kashmiri Chai (Pink Tea)?

Kashmiri tea or Kashmiri chai is a traditional tea drink from Kashmir, a region in both India and Pakistan (which has been fought over for decades).

It’s a pink tea made green tea leaves with or without aromatic spices, salt, and baking soda. You brew the tea until it’s dark red, which turns pink with milk. It’s then aerated for a frothy, creamy texture and garnished with chopped pistachios and almonds for a nutty flavor.

Kashmiri tea in Kashmir is noon chai which means “salty tea”. In different languages, it also has different names like sheer chai, Kashmiri kahwa, namkeen chai, gulabi chai (rose-colored). In the West, as pink tea, Kashmiri chai tea, noon chai tea, and so forth. They all refer to this creamy pink tea!

History: Kashmiri chai is said to be a fusion of different tea-making styles and flavors, the use of aromatic spices from Persia, the addition of salt from Tibet (like Tibetan yak coffee), and, of course, tea from China. It may have even been popularized by the arrival of the British, who helped blossom tea drinking as a culture in India today.

What Does Kashmiri Chai Taste Like?

Unlike teas you’re probably used to, Kashmiri chai is salty, and definitely an acquired taste. It’s salty, creamy, refreshing, slightly nutty, spiced, and floral. It’s unlike anything you’ve probably tried, and it’s really refreshing!

However, many places now serve it with sugar and a hint of salt, which makes it floral, salty, sweet, and creamy. It has that addicting sweet and salty flavor combination which makes it all the more appealing to unfamiliar audiences.

It reminds me of sea salt foam jasmine tea, where the salt helps bring out the sweetness and cut some of that sickly sweet flavor. It’s light and refreshing, and the aerated milk tea is so creamy as well.

Kashmiri chai is different from just regular jasmine milk tea or even chai!

What is the Difference Between Kashmiri Chai and Regular Chai?

While Kashmiri chai and regular chai both share the word chai, they are quite different in flavor, appearance, ingredients, and preparation. Basically, they’re not the same.

Tea Leaves: Kashmiri chai is made from Kashmir green tea leaves while regular chai is made with black tea leaves, usually Assam or Ceylon. They both have different flavors and caffeine amounts. The former tasting more light and refreshing and the latter darker and bolder.

Spices: Both Kashmiri and regular chai can have spices in them, but they also do not. Chai literally means “tea”, but if you want a spiced tea, it’s usually called masala chai or something else. The spices used for both are similar, which include cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom. But, chai can be made with just the tea alone.

Color: Kashmiri chai is dusty pink while regular chai is brown.

Flavor: Regular chai is bold and malty from the black tea while pink tea is lighter and more aromatic. Kashmiri chai is also traditionally salty while regular chai leans more sweet.

Preparation: Both teas require brewing and boiling of the tea for a tea base, which we add milk to and then aerate for a creamy texture. The difference is Kashmiri chai is boiled for much longer with the addition of baking soda to get a deep wine color, which acts as our pink tea base.

Why is Kashmiri Chai Pink?

Besides the flavor, the most famous thing about Kashmiri chai is that it’s pink!

It’s not a fluorescent pink, but a beautiful salmon or dusty pink that’s bright enough to make you think, how is that tea pink?

Kashmiri chai is pink because of a chemical reaction between the brewed tea and baking soda! Some speculate that baking soda was an influence of Tibetan yak coffee which uses alkaline salt that makes the tea darker.

Baking soda makes the tea pink, thanks to chemistry!

How Kashmiri Chai Turns Pink

Think back to your high school chemistry class and I’m sure you’ve done an acid-base or titration experiment where you used cabbage juice (anthocyanin) to find the equivalence point of your solution.

This tea does exactly the same thing!

If you didn’t know, brewed tea is acidic while baking soda is basic. The polyphenols in tea are what make it acidic, and Kashmiri green tea has a ton of polyphenols that turn yellow in acidic environments and red in basic environments.

The longer you brew tea, the more polyphenols extract into the tea. Since baking soda is basic, adding it to the brewed tea rich in polyphenols changes the tea color from dark orange to deep red. These two ingredients act as natural acid-base indicators!

However, it only turns that beautiful pink color with the addition of milk (red + white = pink.)

Is Kashmiri Chai Healthy?

The biggest health benefit from Kashmiri Tea comes from the green tea, which has loads of anti-oxidants, catechins, minerals, and vitamins. These amazing chemical components in green tea have anti-inflammatory, digestive, stress resistance, anti-obesity, and immune-boosting properties. (Matcha is a great example of tea being a superfood.)

This is why Kashmiri chai is a super popular post-meal drink! The added dairy milk also has lots of calcium as well, which is great for your bones.

Obviously, the way to make it slightly less healthy is by adding a large amount of sugar to it, like most drinks. But a slightly sweetened, salty pink tea is a great drink for a relaxing rewind.

How to Make Kashmiri Chai (Pink Tea)

Here’s what you’ll need to make Kashmiri chai at home:

• 1 tbsp Kashmiri green tea leaves
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• a small pinch of Himalayan pink salt (or any salt works)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of milk
• Optional garnish: crushed almonds, pistachio, cardamom, and rose petals

Kashmiri Chai Recipe

1. Brew Tea: Boil Kashmiri green tea leaves and water on low to medium heat on a gentle simmer. Keep simmering the tea (add 1/2 cup water once the tea mixture gets low) until you get a dark brown color. This will take about 20-30 minutes, so hang tight! You can’t really over-brew this tea, so go longer if you’re unsure.
2. Get a Red Tea: When your tea is dark orange, add a small pinch of baking soda. The tea should look like red wine or “pigeon blood.” If the tea isn’t red after adding baking soda, brew the tea longer or add more baking soda little by little. You may need to experiment with brewing time and baking soda amounts here. Don’t add more than 1/4 tsp of baking soda, otherwise, your tea will have an unpleasant soapy taste.
3. Test the Color: If it’s hard to tell the tea color, scoop up some tea with a spoon to see it better. Add a small amount of milk to your spoon to see what color your tea will be with milk. If it skews slightly brown, brew the tea longer or add a little more baking soda. If it’s a beautiful dusty pink, you’re done!
4. Add Milk: Once your tea base is done, shock it by adding cold milk then bring it to a simmer to gently aerate the mixture. (Normally you shock it with ice water, but cold milk prevents it from getting diluted.)
5. Strain and Serve: Once you’ve got that beautiful pink tea, serve it hot or let it cool for an iced version. Just make sure to strain out the tea leaves beforehand! Garnish with crushed almonds, pistachios, ground cardamom, and rose petals.
6. Mix and Enjoy!

Where to Get Kashmiri Tea Leaves?

You can get Kashmiri tea leaves at any Indian or Pakistani grocery store and it usually comes in a clear package or labeled Kashmiri chai or noon chai, sometimes it will be called pink tea.

You can also find these leaves online from small businesses online or specialty grocery stores that carry this specific green tea.

Can I Use Any Green Tea to Make Pink Tea? It’s important that you use these Kashmiri green tea leaves because they’re made specificifically for this pink tea. I believe they are also called gunpowder green tea. Other green tea leaves will give you the same effect but you may end up with a light pinkish-brown brown tea instead of a dusty pink tea.

It’s best to use tea leaves vs. green tea bags because it allows more polyphenol extraction (the thing that makes this tea pink.) There’s more water contacting the leaves when they’re free in the water, meaning more extraction.

Different Ways to Drink Kashmiri Tea

Traditionally, Kashmiri chai is drunk hot and sprinkled with chopped almonds, cardamom, coconut, rose petals, and pistachios. It’s also normally salty, which is an acquired taste. However, you can also add sugar to it to get used to the flavor (which is what I did here).

You can also have it cold, and some shops in my area sell it iced with a sprinkle of rose petals on top. It’s delicious no matter how you drink it! I’ve even added a brown sugar cream on top to make it extra decadent and creamy.

Tips:

Here are some tips to help you brew the perfect cup of Kashmiri chai at home!

• Dark Rim When Brewing: If you see a dark rim around your tea, don’t be alarmed, that is normal! Actually, it’s a good sign that your tea is brewing correctly. It will easily dissolve back into your tea with a little water.
• Use a Light Colored Pan: It’s important to be able to see what color your tea is turning so you know when to add your milk to halt the tea brewing. Darker pots make it hard to see the color, so use a lighter-colored or metal pot for good visibility.
• Gradually Add Baking Soda: You really don’t need much baking soda to turn your tea pink, and too much baking soda will make your tea taste bitter. So add just a small pinch at a time, no more than a 1/4 teaspoon, until you get that deep wine color.
• Ba Patient: This tea takes some time to boil and reduce, and if you add your milk in too early you will end up with slightly pink and brown tea instead of pink. There’s no going back once you add your milk, so let the tea boil as long as you can. The longer you brew, the more pink your tea.
• Boil Water Beforehand: Boil water in a water kettle before adding it to your pot. This saves time and gas waiting for water to boil! This is my favorite hack I use literally anytime I need to boil anything from pasta, rice, veggies, etc.
• Aerate the Chai: If you have extra time, you can also aerate the tea by ladling it over and over until it becomes slightly frothy which makes your tea more pink and creamier.