Star Anise Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai

by VariaTEA

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!

VariaTEA

Hey there! My name is Rachel. I’m a twenty-something from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who loves dogs and has a bit of an obsession with tea. As a child I hated the stuff since all I ever knew was Red Rose (no offense to Red Rose). However, a few years ago that all changed. I was on a diet and desperate for new flavors without adding calories and that’s when I turned to tea. I started off by going to DAVIDsTEA and Teavana for all their dessert-inspired flavors, and since I didn’t know any better, I bought 100 grams each of about twenty-something different teas. This was okay for the teas I liked but for those I didn’t I needed to find some way of getting rid of them. Enter Steepster.com. This is where I met some incredible tea friends, discovered tea swaps, and learned of so many amazing tea companies. My desire to try all the teas grew and since joining three years ago I have tried over a thousand different teas. I have learned what ingredients I love and I have learned what flavors I don’t like. I determined my go-to brewing method is Western-style with no added milk or sweeteners, though I also enjoy cold brewing, iced teas, teapops, lattes, and smoothies. I have yet to brew gong-fu style but I hope to do so just as soon as I get the proper teaware to do it. About a year ago, I actually stopped drinking tea but as my stash of over 200 teas started aging I decided I needed to respark my interest. I chose to take a 365 days of tea challenge on Instagram in which I post a new tea picture every day. So far it has been rather successful as I find myself drinking (and buying) more and more tea each day. Plus it enabled CuppaGeek to find me and invite me here to SororiTea Sisters.

This post was posted in Blue Lotus Chai, Chai

Holiday Blend Alert! Holiday Embrace from Plum Deluxe

by Mary

Here in Wisconsin, we’re known for a few things– cheese (of course), beer (naturally) and cranberries (apparently). While I’m not sipping the former two in tea form anytime soon, any chance I get to rep my state with a tea comprised of the latter, I’m all about it. (But listen, I’ll never say never to the beer/cheese tea given the right opportunity.)

This holiday blend from Plum Deluxe is an absolute delight in dry leaf form. The spices and fruit are big and chunky, looking and smelling like the most delightful holiday potpourri you could imagine. Traditional chai spices mingle beautifully with orange peel and cranberry, making this tea a slightly sweet and spicy herbal perfect to be sipped on snowy nights.

My only complaint about this one is that the pieces are SO large that I’ll likely blow through my ounce in no time. But that just means I’ll have to stock up on a few bags for the long winter ahead!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description

We love this spicy herbal tea shared with family and friends during the holidays. Fresh, dried cranberries are paired with orange peel and a melange of spices. The warming fruit flavor feels so good paired with tasty snacks or after a hearty meal. This tea also makes for a wonderful gift.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Mary

Hi there! I'm Mary, a 27-year-old mental health professional living with my fiancé and our quirky kitten in the Midwest! I've loved tea for as long as I can remember-- in fact, I have vivid memory of being four or five in a tea shop and being mesmerized by all the tea flavors and proclaiming that I "was going to be kind of adult who drank tea, not coffee." A stint living (and tea-drinking my way through) London and twenty-some years later, I'm still channeling that sassy four-year-old and loving my tea habit. When I'm not sipping a cuppa, you'll find me reading, doing yoga, traveling, exploring my own city, planning our wedding and experimenting with different healthful and healing foods in my kitchen.

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, Plum Deluxe

Firebird Chai by Wendigo

by Sensiblyscript

While sniffing this tea before steeping (what? Don’t tell me I’m the only one who does this) I can definitely pick up a big whiff of ginger in the dry leaves. The leaves are better-looking than average for chai; they also have more of a presence in the blend (as far as fragrance and so on) than some do. I also observed lots of chunks of other stuff (spices?) in there with the tea leaves. The curls of dried ginger were the most noticeable of these. (And also were quite impressive. Don’t most chais just have minced ginger or something? These curls were really cool-looking.)

When steeping, I used a couple of generous spoonfuls for my latte mug and hot water that I poured out just after boiling. I may have been a bit over-lavish with the leaves compared to what the steeping instructions said, but I was feeling like drinking a strong chai. I steeped it four minutes before removing the leaves. The rehydrated pods (I think that’s the cardamom?) and curls of ginger were much more obvious in the tea leaves now. The brewed tea turned out a strongish darkish brown (but not the darkest ever).
Now that the finished product is in hand, I can actually smell the black tea along with the spices. This isn’t always the case with chai, so I appreciated it. Ginger seems the predominant spice (rather than cinnamon) upon first sip. Each sip has a sweet, smooth taste (despite not having any sugar in it yet) and a warming effect.
Certainly it’s exotic as well as pleasant and comforting, with all that ginger and cardamom, and manages to carve a unique flavor profile for itself rather than just being a run-of-the-mill “chai” flavor. I’m unsure where the sweetness is coming from–surely not the ginger or the cinnamon– but I suppose it could be from the black tea itself if it’s as high-quality as it seems.
Overall I’d say this tea is lively, warming, and full and rich without  being cliche. It offers a bright flavor palette that’s not too spicy to enjoy. It’s great with milk and sugar too; they “muffle” the spices a bit, as expected, and enhance the richness of the black tea flavor.

 

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Wendigo Tea
wendigo-teaDescription

FireBird

I, the glorious FireBird, am an imposing beast with the exotic complexity to guide you through a wild adventure of savory, sweet, spicy, and back again. Brace yourself if you think you are ready to experience the wonder of FireBird. I am a Spicy Masala Chai that leaves scorched remnants of other Chai teas far below my ferocious wings.
I am born of the meanest Indian Estate black tea available, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper & all spice. Where other Chai teas expect you to add milk and heaps of sweetener to balance the bitter taste of inferior ingredients, I stand alone as a unique masterpiece.
My elevated nature is most notable from the refusal of being satisfied with anything but the very best and strongest tasting Premium Indian Estate Tea available. This compliments the spices and will not dare be buried under them, but earthy decadence soaring ahead for the lingering trail of spice and flavor following on your pallet.
Feel the Burn. Love the taste.

 

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sensiblyscript

Hi! My name is Tabitha and I'm an uprooted PNW native living in the South with my husband and my cocker spaniel. My favorite teas are usually dark and strong and go well with milk and sugar. I like to combine tea-drinking with all of my favorite activities, such as listening to music, reading YA fiction, knitting, and writing blog and website content for businesses. Because I'm a well-rounded person, I also have other interests, such as wearing mismatched socks and pretending to be ambidextrous.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Wendigo Tea Co

Organic Masala Chai from Hope and Glory

by Hillary

I still remember my first Chai latte. It was love at first sip. And the spicier the better! Whether at a coffee shop or at home, I never imagined drinking Chai without some sort of plant milk, my favorite is coconut milk.

However, I am also a very impatient person, and I wanted to try this Masala Chai from Hope&Glory, and I have no plant milk. I was kind of scared to try this straight, because some Chai’s I’ve gad in the past are a bit sharp, and need something to tone it down a bit. But it was a cool and crisp morning, the type of morning where I like a cozy Chai.

masala-chai-hope-glory-studio29285First of all, the smell of this blend is amazing. I want to live in a field of this blend, and bathe in it. It smells of cinnamon and spice and everything nice that I want in a tea. I put one teaspoon of coconut sugar in my cup, and took my first sip. Smooth, spicy, clean and the perfect amount of everything. It’s spicy without being too sharp, and it tastes like real ingredients, real spices. It tastes like someone whipped it up personally for me.

I’m sad that I have none left. This is the perfect tea for the upcoming cooler months. This is what you want to come home to after a long day, or better yet this is how you want to start your day. This is by far my favorite Chai blend ever.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Hope and Glory
login-logo_sans-sunDescription

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!

Hillary

Book reading, cat loving, tea sipping vegan.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Chai, Hope and Glory

Chocolate Marshmallow Spicier Chai from 52Teas #VeganMoFo2016

by teaequalsbliss

Chocolate Marshmallow Spicier Chai from 52 Teas is my tea choice of the day and also my choice for today’s Vegan MoFo! Today is Holiday Bake Day! What are you planning on baking over the winter holidays? Do you make cake or cookies? Something Savory? Well, I have a confession to make…I don’t bake! I’ve tried but I always fail! But when I first tasted Chocolate Marshmallow Spicier Chai from 52 Teas I knew I had to use it for today’s Vegan MoFo!

Chocolate Marshmallow Spicier Chai from 52 Teas is VEGAN as are all of their teas! It has a very strong chai base with all of the spices you would want in a chai. It features Marshmallow Root which you can smell upon opening the bag. It also has VEGAN White Chocolate Chips and VEGAN Chocolate Chips and they are WONDERFUL!

If I were to bake…I would bake something based on the aroma and taste of this tea…spices, chocolate, YUM! Chocolate Marshmallow Spicier Chai from 52 Teas is REALLY something to treasure but also share with others! It also seems perfect for fall and winter not to mention Vegan MoFo!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
52teas3_1430856114__73092Description

organic ingredients: black teas, secret blend of spices, marshmallow root, cacao nibs, cacao shells, mini vegan chocolate chips, vegan white chocolate chips and natural flavors.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here! Act quick though, this tea is on sale!

teaequalsbliss

Co-Founder/Co-Creator of Sororitea Sisters at Sororitea Sisters Jennifer (TeaEqualsBliss) is in her upper 30s and lives in the eastern snowbelt area of the US with her husband, 3 dogs, and cat (however the number of furkids can change at anytime as she LOVES providing a forever home for many shelter animals. Her several interests include music, movies, veganism, sports, traveling, collecting Baseball Cards and Unicorns, Radio, Computers, Crafting, and of course…TEA. She started drinking tea at the tender age of 3 thanks to her Grandmother and her love for tea has gotten stronger with each year! In addition to being a co-founder/co-creator of Sororitea Sisters - her main site is MyBlissfulJourney.com. Find out more about Jennifer on MyBlissfulJourney.com.

This post was posted in 52Teas, Black Tea