Let me tell you how you can have an amazing pick up for your day.
(1) Pick yourself up a tin of Traditional Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai.
(2) Once the tin arrives, instantly get the following: water, pot, milk and a timer.
(3) Open the tin and enjoy the aromas of the chai mix.
(4) Boil 4 oz fresh water.
(5) Add one rounded scoop of the powdered chai.
(6) Stir. . . .add in milk or creamer and continue to heat the mixture
(7) Once the brew is the desired temp, I highly recommended adding on a dollop of froth milk/cream to throw this experience over the top.
(8) Enjoy. . .and let all of the cares of the day wash away
I will admit, I am not a chai fan but this chai mix has changed my mind completely. After following the above steps, you are left with this delicious chai mix that really makes you sit back and take a moment for yourself. All of those beautiful spices mingle so well together and if you use milk like I did, that added creamy note really makes the brew even more enjoyable.
I will say that you definitely want to drink this tea right after you prepare the brew. I accidentally let the tea sit for a few minutes and it seemed like there was a bit of grit from the powder staring to accumulate at the bottom of the cup.
What is brilliant about this chai is there isn’t a teapot that you need to clean out, there is no tea leaves you need to fuss with, just a pot, some water, and the chai mix itself. Now saying that, I do still love my loose leaf tea and would never part with having it, but this chai mix from Blue Lotus Chai is definitely a great tea to have on hand for those mornings or afternoons when you need a little pick me up and may not have all of the needed tea ware to brew up a proper cuppa or just need a cuppa asap.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Blue Lotus Chai
Description
With its deep and truly authentic flavor and amazing ease of preparation, our flagship product has become part of the daily rhythm of many homes. Tasting is believing!
Ingredients: Naturally brewed and flash-dried black tea powder; 100% Certified Organic powdered spices: ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Rooibos Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai
“Ready to savor in a moment” says the packaging, and it’s true: this tea is in a finely ground powder form, just mix it in your mug with hot water or milk and it’s ready to drink. I used the recommended ratio on the packaging, using a teaspoon of sweetener, and 50/50 hot water and hot (almond) milk. I used a stronger serving of the tea powder because I like my chai extra spicy. The powder is a rich, dark brown, smelling strongly of cloves and cinnamon. In the hot brew, the ginger brings its trademark heat and cardamom adds a pop of herbal warmth. It’s everything I want from a chai: the warm and spicy Christmas flavors, and since it’s rooibos, it’s decaf so I can drink it any time of day.
For future brewing, I would treat this like I do matcha, sifting the powder first for the smoothest blend, and whisking it to add a bit of foam on top. I always feel like it’s a challenge to get a chai spicy enough for my tastes, and this powdered tea style makes it easy to bring the heat. I might give this a try with hot water, no milk, and a slice of orange as an alternative brewing style. I just got a sample size of this tea to try it out, but I’ll have to order a full bag of rooibos masala chai from a Blue Lotus Chai sometime soon!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Red Rooibos (ground)
Where to Buy: Blue Lotus Chai
Description:
100% Certified organic and caffeine-free, our Rooibos Masala Chai appeals to a broad cross-section of customers. It has a similar taste profile to our Traditional Masala Chai, but with the delightful base of naturally sweet and nutty rooibos. Those who cannot or wish to not drink a caffeinated chai, can freely indulge in their favorite BLC drink.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Star Anise Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai
The snow is falling but I have nowhere I need to be so I am at home sipping teas and staying warm. I reached for this chai because nothing says warmth like standing by the stove to warm up a cup full of spices, except for maybe sipping that warm cup of spices wrapped in a fuzzy blanket on the couch but I digress. Anyways, I got my pot and whisk all ready to go so imagine my surprise when I opened this up and there was a powder mix inside. In fact, the hard piece I thought was a stick of cinnamon when I was holding the closed package was actually just a small wooden measuring spoon. Well, that certainly makes things easier. Plus, the package comes with directions so as per the instructions, I got my kettle boiling and topped about 1/2 a teaspoon of the powder mix with 8 oz of water, gave it a stir and filled the rest of my 16 oz mug with milk. I guess I will be getting to that blanket sooner that I expected.
The smell of chai spices is strong but what stands out above all else is the star anise. The scent fills the room, making me a little hesitant since I am not the biggest fan of star anise and my relationship with chais are timid at best. Bringing the mug closer to my mouth, the anise smell only got stronger so I knew that when I took that first sip that an anise punch was coming my way. I braced myself and was pretty surprised when I didn’t hate it. The star anise is certainly the most prominent flavor when you first taste this chai but as you let the flavors roll around you realize this is not a one-note treat. The star anise and milk provide a sweet creaminess that seamlessly blends with the sweetness of the cinnamon. In turn, the cinnamon bridges the gap between sweet and spice and gives way to a ginger kick, boosted by the spice of ground black pepper and the warmth of cloves, that lingers on your tongue long after the sip has finished. Nutmeg floats around the mix giving this just a little more depth while the black tea functions more as a stage on which the spices are the stars.
All in all, I can appreciate this as a pretty good chai. For those that enjoy star anise or licorice-type flavors, this is a great pick. It helps that this is also a quick and easy chai to whip up. However, for those who are more like me and don’t really enjoy that distinct star-anise flavor, this probably isn’t for you. With that in mind, Blue Lotus Chai offers a variety of other chai flavors that might catch your eye.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Masala Chai
Where to Buy: Blue Lotus Chai
Description
Our Star Anise Masala Chai is absolutely delicious! It has all of the signature BLC spices, with star anise contributing deep, but subtle licorice notes.
Ingredients: Naturally brewed and flash-dried black tea powder; 100% Certified Organic powdered spices: ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, star anise.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mandarin Masala Chai (powder) from Blue Lotus
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!
Mandarin Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai
Chai Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Blue Lotus Chai
Chai Description:
Our latest 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 new favorite!
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
This Mandarin Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai is really different than I expected. As I was preparing it, I kind of expected a sort of “holiday-ish” type black tea blend … you know what I’m talking about, right? The usual “cinnamon and orange” type holiday black tea.
But this isn’t that holiday orange tea at all! That’s not to say that I don’t like those holiday orange teas – I enjoy them! I’m just saying that this tastes quite different from what I was anticipating it to taste like.
Before I wrote this review, I tried this tea a couple of different ways. The first preparation – I prepared it the way I had prepared the other Blue Lotus Chai teas that I’ve enjoyed in the past, with a 1:1 ratio of hot water and steamed milk, and a heaping scoop of the Mandarin Masala Chai mix. (The most adorable little bamboo scoop is included in the package!) Then I stirred vigorously until the mix was completely incorporated. Then I got out my hand held frother to give the top a little bit if a foamy texture.
It’s yummy prepared this way. The tangerine/orange flavors together with the milk give a sort of “creamsicle” type of flavor, which is actually more of an accent flavor than a strong presence in the cup.
The spices are the main focus of this chai (as well they should be … this IS a chai!) I can really taste the nutmeg here. In the other Blue Lotus Chai blends, I could taste the nutmeg … but here, it really comes into its own … perhaps it’s the orange-y notes that really play to the nutmeg here to bring it out. The pepper is well-pronounced. The other spices are also strong … but, unlike some of those aforementioned holiday blends … this is NOT all about the cinnamon. This is not one of those sweet, cinnamon red-hot kind of teas. This is a chai and I taste the ginger and the black pepper … I taste the cinnamon and the nutmeg … and I taste the cardamom and the cloves! It’s a magnificent blend of spices! The black tea is also discernible, but, as I say … the spices are the main event here.
For my second cup of this chai, I decided to omit the milk and prepare this with just eight ounces of boiling water to see if the orange/tangerine flavors are more pronounced in just water versus the water/milk combination.
I actually prefer this particular chai from Blue Lotus Chai without the milk. It’s still nice and spicy, but I taste the tangerine and orange notes better. It’s brighter and more citrus-y … it’s really ZESTY like this … the spices seem to literally dance on the palate. It is spicy and absolutely delicious!
So, there you have it … I’ve tried all five of the chai blends that Blue Lotus Chai offers … and I’ve enjoyed them all. My favorite is still the Star Anise Masala Chai, but I would recommend all of these chai blends to anyone looking for a delicious chai! And since autumn is nearly here (I hope so, because I’m really tired of the heat!) the time is perfect for a yummy chai!
