The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word CHAI
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
H
A
I
More clues leading to the result CHAI
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "kind of tea" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case kind of tea = chai.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CHAI mean?
CHAI noun- A female gypsy.
- Short for masala chai, a beverage made with black teas, steamed milk and sweet spices, based loosely on Indian recipes.