CUP CHARACTERISTICS: Creamy Madagascar vanilla notes dance with tingling Malabar Coast spices. A lively ginger finish is accentuated by candy cardamom.
INGREDIENTS: Black tea, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Black+White pepper, Clove, Nutmeg, Coriander, Calendula petals, Natural flavors (organic compliant).
ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL: High
CAFFEINE LEVEL: Medium
INFORMATION:
Chai is such an integral part of Indian culture that it is virtually impossible to avoid when traveling through any part of the Indian sub-continent. Even when fresh cold drinking water cannot be found, you will inevitably encounter a chai-wallah, or chai seller, yelling out, "chayee! chayee!"
While riding the rails in India, the call of the chai wallah can be heard at every stop proffering their delicious hot drink. It is not uncommon for a chai-wallah to board a train in the middle of the night and wake up passengers to sell chai. The chai arrives in small clay cups that customers throw from the train windows when finished!
Indian chai is typically made using a rich black tea, usually an Assam, and brewing it in heavy milk with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper. The drink produces a warm soothing effect and engenders a wonderfully calming effect on the body. We've taken the soothing aspect of this blend one step further and added a dash of vanilla. This addition of vanilla adds a hint of creaminess to this tea - a fantastic addition. Brew this tea piping hot and add some sugar to help open up the exotic flavor of the spicy blend that makes up this tea. Just try and stop yourself after one cup! Important: Turn your bag of Chai upside down a few times. The powdered spices can settle at the bottom of the bag during transit
IDEAL BREWING TEMPERATURE: 100ºC/212ºF
HOT BREWING METHOD:
Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz / 200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 5-10 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Pitcher): (To Make 1 Liter/Quart):
Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea or 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 7 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the tea bags. Add ice, milk and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)