# I \<3 Chai **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 30, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936 "2003-07-30T17:07:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/1 "2003-07-30T17:07:13Z")
I’m sitting here drinking a cup of hot chai…with milk and sugar. I just felt the need to express my love for this tasty beverage. Who here shares my feelings? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/2 "2003-07-30T17:13:26Z")
Okay, I’ll bite. Is that a “lazy heart” with the \<3 thing? I have tasted chai but am not a regular partaker of same. My wife was swearing by it for a while, but gave it up in favor of plain tea in appreciation for the way her consumption was adding pounds. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/3 "2003-07-30T17:22:45Z")
the \<3 is just a plain ole heart…it looks alot better with some fonts where the \< and 3 line up right. I don’t really know what you mean by “lazy heart” but…yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/4 "2003-07-30T17:28:32Z")
I just figured it to be like some of those brands they burn cows with where some letter is lying down sideways. They’re “lazy” whatevers. So a 3 could be a "lazy W’ or a “lazy M.” Sort of like the (.)(.) and (_)(_) things I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/5 "2003-07-30T18:11:20Z")
As a longtime chai lover, I can relate. I’ve only ever had the _real_ stuff a few times in my life, and usually resort to Starfuck’s or Murchie’s. (Not that I’m complaining!) I’ve also tried some of the concentrates. I’ve had an orange chai that was sinfully wonderful, but no idea where it came from. Mmmmm, chai. ---
**Author:** ![verbenabeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@verbenabeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/verbenabeast)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/6 "2003-07-30T18:20:51Z")
Chai abso-f\*cking-lutely OWNS me… I usually have to resort to Stash spiced Chai tea-bag thingees… pretty good not the real stuff, but quick and tasty! with milk and sugar is a given… MmMMmmmMmmmm-MMM!! ---
**Author:** ![Quantum\_Butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e79b87/32.png) [@Quantum\_Butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quantum_Butterfly)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/7 "2003-07-30T18:33:40Z")
I have an Indian friend who makes the BEST dang chai! Mmmmmmm. Starbucks simply does not compare. She keeps trying to teach Mom and I how to make it, but somehow it never tastes the same. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/8 "2003-07-30T18:43:21Z")
Hm. I looked at it the other way and thought it was a flaccid penis. I was expecting some sort of weird chai fetish or perhaps some kind of revenge scheme at the office… ---
**Author:** ![juji\_mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@juji\_mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/juji_mojo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/9 "2003-07-30T22:13:23Z")
mmmmm chai One place near me makes an icy chai frappicino thingy. Infact, why am I sitting here, when I could be going to buy one of those now? ---
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/10 "2003-07-30T23:39:32Z")
Actually, if anyone has any tried and true recipes for real chai, I’d love to see them! (Oh dog, I can’t resist.) > [@](#): > > Infact, why am I sitting here, when I could be going to buy one of those now? When come back bring chai! [sub]I’m so sorry…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/11 "2003-07-31T02:18:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gulo gulo \* > > (Oh dog, I can’t resist.) > > When come back bring chai! > [sub]I’m so sorry…[/sub] Ouch. I would smite you for that…except that you saved me from saying it. Of course, if **juji** brings back chai for all of us, I will be much too mellow for any smitations. If not, I shall be forced to resort to my stash of Good Earth chai teabags. It’s a nice blend, but not the same as the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/12 "2003-07-31T03:43:35Z")
Blechhh I can’t stand that stuff. Boring old Earl Grey for me thank you 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![maleinblack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maleinblack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maleinblack)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/13 "2003-07-31T05:12:18Z")
Being an Indian, all I have been drinking is **chai** all my life. Chai is so deep rooted here that people shudder at the thought of having tea without milk or sugar. I dont know what kind of chai you get abroad,but try searching shops that store indian stuff for **Chai Masala**.It is a powder you add along with your tea leaves, milk and sugar when you boil the ingredients.Its yummy. I am also known to put in small pieces of ginger while boiling the concoction for that nice spicy feel.Highly recommended if you are suffering from a cold. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/14 "2003-07-31T07:45:44Z")
I’d just like to say that I read the title as I is less than 3 Chai. Chai is a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The Hebrew letters double as numbers. Chai is 18. I is, of course, the symbol for the square root of negative one. So, I thought the title was the square root of negative one is less than 54. Which struck me as an odd thing to start a thread over. ---
**Author:** ![Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dazzling_White_Diamonds)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/15 "2003-07-31T12:27:39Z")
All I can say is… _I lurrrves me some chai_ that is all. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/16 "2003-07-31T13:00:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DocCathode \* > \*\*Chai is a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The Hebrew letters double as numbers. Chai is 18. > \*\* Inevitable clarification. The Hebrew word _hai_ (with a hard “h”), meaning “life,” is spelled _het yod_, and the letters have the values 8 and 10 respectively. As **DocCathode** said, the word _hai_ is 18. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who read the thread title as a mathematical statement. ---
**Author:** ![acrossthesea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@acrossthesea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acrossthesea)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/17 "2003-07-31T14:01:34Z")
Starbucks’ Iced Chais were what I lived off of during my Barnes & Noble early shift days. This was like 2000 and 2001. Early early 2002. I’d have to be at work at 7 am. I’d be thirsty. I’d be hungry. It didn’t matter if it was 20 degrees outside, I’d get an iced chai because the hot ones put me to sleep. (And have no flavor whatsoever, as far as I could tell.) I’d get a donut, too. I’d work in the children’s section shelving books and listening to Queens of The Stone Age on the store radio because the morning manager was cool. It’s the only thing that kept me awake. I think about those days often, the hard hitting super-sugar saturated combo of the chai and the donut and smile. I miss those days. I miss the chai. They have starbucks in Japan but I am not sure if they serve iced chai, or just hot. I also do not live near any starbucks. : ( One day, I shall have my iced chai again. And my donut. And I will be happy. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/18 "2003-07-31T23:46:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scuba\_Ben \* > \*\*Inevitable clarification. The Hebrew word _hai_ (with a hard “h”), meaning “life,” is spelled _het yod_, and the letters have the values 8 and 10 respectively. > > As **DocCathode** said, the word _hai_ is 18. > > I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who read the thread title as a mathematical statement. \*\* :smack: :smack: :smack: I knew that. Really. It was 2:45 am. I opened a thread expecting mathematics and get tea. Naturally I’m confused. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/19 "2003-08-01T00:32:15Z")
Chai is okay, but I’ll take Thai Iced Tea any day. Well, maybe not any day…I do need to watch my weight, but at least a couple of times a month. Mm mm. Love that Thai Iced Tea. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936/20 "2003-08-01T08:00:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gulo gulo \* > **Actually, if anyone has any tried and true recipes for real chai, I’d love to see them!** How we do it back home in India. Half a cup milk. Lo-fat is a no no for us, but YMMV. Chai does taste richer if you use normal milk, though. Half a cup water. Combine and simmer on a low flame. Add tea granules to taste. Add sugar to taste. Split two cloves of cardamom seeds. Add to mix. 4 or 5 leaves of Indian Basil (_tulsi_). Add to mix. Increase heat. Bring to boil. Lower heat and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Strain. Smell. Swoon in pleasure. Un-swoon. Drink. The entire process takes about 6 or 7 minutes. In fact, now I wish I was back home drinking some chai, and munching on onion and potato fritters… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-3-chai/191936.md?page=2)