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