Real Nepali chiya in Croatia: 5 steps and a supermarket shopping list (with Croatian names)

Make Nepali milk tea with masala at home using tea, milk, ginger and cardamom from a normal Croatian supermarket.

Published 2026-10-26 · Source checked 2026-10-25

Nothing says home like a hot glass of chiya. You do not need a Nepali shop for a good one: tea, milk, ginger and cardamom are on the shelves of most Croatian supermarkets. It takes 10 minutes and makes two cups.

Shopping list with Croatian names: black tea (crni čaj; loose or a strong bag tea), full-fat milk (punomasno mlijeko), fresh ginger (đumbir), cardamom (kardamom), sugar (šećer). Optional: cinnamon (cimet) and cloves (klinčić). Check the spice shelf; if cardamom is missing, try a larger shop or an Asian store.

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Step 1: Boil 1 cup of water in a small pot with 2 crushed cardamom pods and a thumb-sized piece of crushed ginger. Step 2: Add 2 teaspoons of black tea and boil for 1–2 minutes until the water turns dark.

Step 3: Add 1 cup of milk and 2 teaspoons of sugar, or to taste. Step 4: Bring it to a rolling boil, then lower the heat and let it rise and fall twice. This is what gives chiya its deep, creamy taste.

Step 5: Strain into two glasses and drink while hot. Tips: more ginger for cold mornings, less milk for a stronger tea. Do not leave the pot alone, because milk boils over fast.

What to do: make a pot this week for your housemates and ask them to guess the secret spice. Tell us on our Facebook page: how do you take your chiya, and what do you add that nobody in Croatia would guess?

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