Fall is time for Chai. Fall and winter is when I want to start my day with the warm spiciness of a good cup of Chai. While everyone else is craving all things pumpkin, I’ll be over here drinking Chai.
I always use Chai teabags, but over the years I have seen powder Chai mixes pop up, I think even Trader Joe’s has one, but they all have milk in them, and so as a vegan those are no good to me. But this Blue Lotus chai powder has no milk. It’s just powdered black tea, spices, including citrus blend and that’s it. You just mix it with boiling water, and you’re sweetener and milk of choice. The directions say to use 1/8 of a teaspoon, which I did for my first cup. For my second cup I added a tiny amount more. When you’re stirring the water in, it kind of foams up like a latte. I tasted the tea before adding anything, and I was surprised by the very subtle citrus taste. It goes well with the all the other spices. I added a teaspoon of coconut sugar and a splash of coconut milk, and had an amazing experience. This made me feel warm and cozy, and was a wonderful way to start my day. The spice is subtle, which is why I added a bit more for my second cup, but it’s balanced and delicious. Nothing stands out, all the spices work together.
The convenience of a mix is nice, and it’s wonderful that there is a vegan version!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black/Chai
Where to Buy: Blue Lotus Chai
Description:
This variety has the lush and delicious flavors of our secret mandarin orange/tangerine blend, in addition to the masala spices that our BLC lovers find so scrumptious. A favorite!
Ingredients: Naturally brewed and flash-dried black tea powder; 100% Certified Organic powdered spices: ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, citrus blend from extract.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tupelo Honey Chai from Tupelo Honey Tea
One of my coworkers (a true blessed angel upon this earth) brought in doughnuts this morning, so I decided I’d round out the experience with a Brand New Tea! Heck yes. Good day.
Today’s breakfast pastry accompaniment comes from Tupelo Honey Teas. This company is in the same area as my in-laws — a little village you might have heard of — Pittsburgh, PA. They’ve got a football team. I hear it’s pretty good.
You’d think that football people and tea people are different, but apparently not, because Tupelo has a Yinzer Line that includes a Steelers tea . I might have to pick some of this up for my mother-in-law.
The tea I’m specifically trying today is the Honey Chai.
This one’s calibrated to be less aggressive than normal chai, so it can be steeped without the aid of milk. I have, accordingly, not added any milk.
Conclusion: it’s great! I usually think chai tries too hard, but this one’s definitely a milder version, as promised. It’s sweet and tasty without grabbing the back of my throat and throttling it. It tastes like a gingerbread cookie! I could definitely see this one making its way into my regular rotation.
Yinz will probably like it, too. You’ll wave your Terrible Towels in happiness.
(Original Artwork by our own Super Starling!)
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tupelo Honey Teas
Description
Each 1oz bag makes approximately 16 cups of tea at a cost of $0.56 per cup.
Chai Tea is all the rage and this tea is no exception. Blended for the owner’s mom, it has quickly become one of Tupelo Honey Teas’ biggest sellers. This Chai is simple yet flavorful. It can be steeped traditionally with milk or just in water.
A Tupelo Honey Teas Blend.
This tea has also been used to make Chai Tea Cookies. Check out our blog for the recipe!
Steep Temperature: 212 Degrees
Steep Time: 4-5 minutes
Ingredients: Organic Ceylon Black Tea, Organic Cardamom, Organic Clove, Organic Ginger, Organic Cinnamon
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Rajah Collection Organic Masala Chai from Hope & Glory
I have to say I have being having so much fun going thru the Hope & Glory Shipment that was sent and Rajah Collection Organic Masala Chai from Hope & Glory is one of those teas that I am VERY MUCH enjoying thus far!
I LOVE the packaging! It goes along with their brand. It’s colorful and clean. The packaging also explains a lot with very little wordage. It’s eye-catching and easy to comprehend while on-the-go! On the back of the package I am looking at for the Rajah Collection Organic Masala Chai from Hope & Glory offering I noticed the ingredient breakdown and ratio.
The leaf grade of the Rajah Collection Organic Masala Chai from Hope & Glory is Orthodox Leaf – FBOP. This blend of ingredients are 70% Organic Ceylon Black Tea, 30% fresh blend of organic spices which are made up of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and black pepper.
I really appreciate the fact that Hope & Glory used 70% for the ratio of black tea base to the 30% chai spices. The chai spices are perfectly done to my own personal liking. The spices are not over powering nor are they too weak – they are JUST RIGHT! Rajah Collection Organic Masala Chai from Hope & Glory is quite thrilling and certainly a tea I will be sharing with MANY.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Chai (Black Tea Base)
Where to Buy: Hope & Glory
Description: A full-bodied blend of organic Ceylon black tea and spices, Masala Chai derives from the Hindi literally meaning ‘mixed-spice tea’. Spices such as cardamom and cinnamon have been expertly blended to give a warming, rich blend of flavours and a sweet aroma.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
December Chai By Tea Of Fortunata (Etsy Shop)
Hello Tea Friends!
It is with thanks to CuppaGeek that I am able to try this tea. An exciting winter Chai blend all the way from Canada. Living in Leicester, United Kingdom I do consider myself somewhat of a Chai expert. We boast a large multi-cultural society here and we have the largest Diwali celebrations outside of India. As such with a large Asian community you can find unique family recipe Chai in many restaurants and shops. Since I was young Masala Chai has been a favourite of mine and I have tried hundreds of blends over the years. It is with happiness and joy that I get to try another Chai blend.
This particular Chai blend called December Chai aims to “bring warmth to the tea drinker, no matter what time of year it happens to be” and that is a very sweet sentiment which makes me even happier to drink it.
Opening the sealed sample packet my nose positively tingles at the spiciness. A strong concoction of: clove, cinnamon and licorice with a peppery finish strike the nostrils with their presence. I have no idea of what spices are present though I can definitely see pieces of cinnamon bark in the blend. The black leaves are loosely chopped and thinly rolled.
There are many ways to brew Chai but I will go with a good Western method. Approx 5g of tea blend into 320ml cup using boiling water for 3 minutes. Served with a splash of vegan rice milk. Sweetener is a usual addition but when reviewing I leave it out.
Once steeped the tea bares a strong cinnamon spiciness that matches the raw scent.
The first few sips offer a dry, spicy punch that trickles down my throat with a little cough. Very strong and spicy! The cinnamon and clove like refreshing note are dominant on a medium strength black base that adds depth to the blend. It leaves a fragrant aftertaste. It’s strength is very appealing and is a nice everyday Chai. In fact I think this would be a nice morning Chai because it has that kick to wake you up. It was stated to be a warming blend and I can agree with that, it’s warming and cuts through the crisp, cold air with a glow.
Overall: I am nothing if not honest. This was a nice Chai but lacked a few things for my personal taste. Some cardamom pods would have been a nice touch to lift the dry, cinnamon note that pretty much dominated the blend. While I adore cinnamon it was rather dry which was mostly noticeable in the after taste. Despite that it held it’s own compared to the many Chai blends I have tasted and is similar to some I have had the privilege of trying. While it didn’t get top marks it got better than average and I know I will be enjoying the rest of this in my mug.
Until next time, Happy Steeping!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Leaf with Spices
Where to Buy: Tea Of Fortunata
Description:
Bring the enchantment of December’s twilight into every month of the year. Rejuvenate yourself with this exotic mix of high-grown tea and spices. The fair trade black tea comes from Sri Lanka, while the mix of spices and seeds come from all over the world, mostly from Kerala, India’s spice coast.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Masala Chai from Hope & Glory
I readily admit that I’m not a huge fan of straight chai tea but I do love my chai lattes. I call them a hug in a cup. A couple years ago my hubby bought me a Breville Frother for Christmas. At first I didn’t think I would use it very often, but I have found I use it all the time. I love making my stepsons chai lattes at night while we have our family time. So when Hope & Glory’s Masala Chai showed up at my door, I couldn’t wait to make the kids lattes.
I prepped my milk up and water and set about steeping the tea and frothing the milk. In just a few minutes I had amazing looking lattes that looked like they were from a coffee house. I even sprinkled nutmeg on the top to give the lattes that added flair.
We all eagerly awaited a few moments to let the tea cool and took our first sip. These lattes were amazing! The chai was a subtle yet flavorful blend that gave you all those warming and familiar chai notes. There was a distinct cardamom and clove note in every sip that was sweetened and heightened by the frothed milk and cinnamon flavors. I also added in a quick swirl of honey that helped bring in a sweeter note to combat the spicy tones of the chai blend.
Even tho this tea tasted amazing, what I loved even more was the convenience factor of this blend. Each serving is individually wrapped so that all you have to do is prep your water and pour the tea in. No measuring, no worrying about overleafing the tea pot. Just gorgeous chai tea to enjoy. Doesn’t get easier or tastier than this!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Hope & Glory
Description:
A full-bodied blend of organic Ceylon black tea and spices, Masala Chai derives from the Hindi literally meaning ‘mixed-spice tea’. Spices such as cardamom and cinnamon have been expertly blended to give a warming, rich blend of flavours and a sweet aroma.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
