As a chai tea lover, I’m surprised I haven’t run into more Chai Safari teas in my experience. Needless to say, I was excited to brew up a cup of spicy tea and try a new flavor.
I took one look at the dry leaf of this tea and immediately wanted to look up the ingredients. The black tea leaves are processed into small pellets, which is typical for some types of chai, but I was confused when I saw the green tulsi leaves mixed in. It’s not everyday that you see green ingredients in a chai tea, it’s usually lots of golden ginger and warm, brown cinnamon. Classic Masala Chai blend from Chai Safari has many of the classic chai staples like ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon, but it mixes in some more surprising ingredients like black pepper, tulsi (holy basil), and saffron.
Brewed this is everything you would expect from a chai tea: bold and warming, with the spice-cookie flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom. I love the idea of the peppercorns in my teas, but it is hard to pick out the pepper flavor in this brew. Maybe some of the heat I associated with the ginger is actually from the black pepper.
The piece that sets this chai appart is the inclusion of tulsi and saffron. These herbs add just a hint of floral sweetness in the scent and aftertaste. These refined flavors are an unexpected compliment to the bolder spices and made me realize that there is more to chai than ginger and cinnamon alone.
I will have to adventure into Chai Safari again and check out more unexpected chai tea flavors!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Chai Safari
Description: The Classic Masala Chai is India’s most popular chai. India’s own home grown recipe and consumed as a staple beverage across the country. This blend of exotic spices is the experience that will take you for a trip on this journey. The chai has dominant flavours of dried ginger and cardamom pods with a touch of black pepper’s spicy aftertaste. The sweet undenotes are delivered by cinnamon, Tulsi and a pinch of Saffron.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Golden Tips Black Tea from Chai Safari. . . .
It’s almost midnight and I’m in the mood for tea! What to pick? What to pick? I want something delicious. I want a tea experience, not just any old cuppa.
Ah, this fits the bill.
Chai Safari has their tea grouped by mood on their website and I must say this one is spot on. This Golden Tips Black Tea is listed in the Fresh and Vibrant categories. An odd choice for late at night, but I am intrigued. Besides, I LOVE golden tip teas!
The medium length leaves are twisted and golden tan in color with some very light brown ones. Instructions call for less than boiling temperature water and a three minute steep. I would normally experiment and go with my standard black tea parameters, but I stuck with the company recommendation on this one and I am glad I did.
The tea has such beautiful clarity. And while it has light body, it nevertheless has a complex flavor, beginning with a golden raisin aroma that hits as the cup draws near to your lips, and on the sip develops into honey and malt and a wisp of rye bread. The tea is brisk and a little dry and the flavor lingers on for a long while. This gives it the vibrancy that earned its classification. Those golden tips are packed with sweetness.
We are re-steeping the leaves and the second steep is possibly more fragrant than the first. The third steep has almost as much color as the first two, but the dryness is a little abated and this is a “wetter” tasting cup. I find it slightly sweeter, as well.
This would be fabulous with a good cheddar. Next time. Next time…
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Chai Safari
Description
A brief peak harvest between mid-May and early August yields this renowned black tea with golden tips that denotes buds. Colorful golden tips mingle with full leaves to create rich flavors and aromas.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Classic Masala Chai from Chai Safari. . . .
I LOVE a good strong black tea. The Classic Masala Chai from Tea Safari is strong and bold without being overwhelming. I found it to be best with milk and sugar – and I used a little more milk than what I usually add to other black teas. The strength of the tea allows for multiple steepings, and the spices seemed to be more prominent upon the second steeping. It pairs well with a sweet treat!
The Chai Safari website is fairly easy to navigate and has a neat feature that shows what the tea leaves look like for each blend. When you click on the leaves, it shows what the tea will look like steeped in a cup. Their prices are very reasonable, and the customer will get the most bang for their buck with free shipping on orders over $50.
I enjoyed this nice cup of tea during a spring evening on the porch – the first evening where it was warm enough to sit outside, yet cool enough to enjoy a nice hot cuppa tea. The Classic Masala Chai was a delightful accompaniment for a lovely evening.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Chai Safari
Description
The Classic Masala Chai is India’s most popular chai. India’s own home grown recipe and consumed as a staple beverage across the country. This blend of exotic spices is the experience that will take you for a trip on this journey. The chai has dominant flavours of dried ginger and cardamom pods with a touch of black pepper’s spicy aftertaste. The sweet undenotes are delivered by cinnamon, Tulsi and a pinch of Saffron.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Whole Leaf Green from Chai Safari. . .
I’ve been sampling some really ‘out there’ flavored teas lately. While I am a HUGE fan of that on most days – it’s always nice to have a tea that is ‘stand alone’ GOOD. That’s where Whole Leaf Green from Chai Safari comes in.
According to the company’s website their Whole Leaf Green hails from the Himalayan Hill Estates and uses the entire leaf that has been delicately rolled.
The aroma is gentle, the briskness is on the more mellow to mellow-medium strength, and it’s even a little drier on the tongue that most greens are but not in a bitter or grassy way. Maybe a more bittersweet with a small boost of robustness to it, too, while still being a SMOOTH cuppa! Maybe even on the verge of slightly savory – come to think of it.
Overall – the flavor isn’t overly intense but still extremely valid and satisfying. This is a Green Tea I would gladly SHARE and SUGGEST to the masses!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Chai Safari
Description
Especially chosen from the Himalayan hill estates, this tea is made out of very tender WHOLE-LEAF as evident in the infusion; delicately rolled and completely unoxidised to give you a very light pale greenish-yellow Liquor with a smooth taste you are sure to fall in love with. Bid adieu to the bitterness in taste widely associated with Green tea. We bet you will fall in love with this Tea more as a savory then a health drink. Needless to say, this is extremely rich in antioxidants.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
A Black Tea Featuring Tulsi. . . . #ChaiSafari
Spiced Tulsi Black from Chai Safari features a wonderous herb called Tulsi/Holy Basil and it’s been a part of the Indian household and culture for ages. This Tea combines the spicy flavour of ginger with the freshness of Tulsi leaves and it has properties to cleanse your mood and deliver a fresh punch that shall sooth your mind and body.
I really liked the deep, dark, strong black tea base that was used in this flavored tea. The ginger gave it a spicy pep and the tulsi added the herbal factor into the mix and it was just the right amount of everything!
This was aromatic to the nose and brisk on the taste buds. It was robust and that was my favorite characteristic of it. It had a dry texture to it. I say texture because I hate the term ‘mouth feel’. I’ve said that before and I will say it again…it’s just one of those words that make me cringe…like moist or shin-dig or panties. BLAH! But I think you can catch what I’m throwing here, folks, right? I really liked this tea and I wish I could come up with better words to describe the dance on the tongue it does!
It’s the best of all worlds…black tea base, spicy SPICES (Ginger), and herbs (Tulsi)! Now excuse me while I take another peaceful moment with this tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Chai Safari
Description
The herb Tulsi/Holy Basil has been a part of the Indian household and culture since ages. This Tea combines the spicy flavour of ginger with the freshness of Tulsi leaves. This tea has properties to cleanse your mood and deliver a fresh punch that shall sooth your mind and body.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!