Tea is one of my absolute passions and it's insane I've never spoken about it before! It's hard to pinpoint exactly when this obsession with the nation's favourite drink started but I bloody love it! One of my blends of choice is chai. You may be familiar with chai through Starbucks' Chai Latte drink, but like their error in judgement RE: the macchiato (don't get me started), Chai is actually a tea based drink.
It's origins lie in India, where it is typically brewed at home or streetside stalls (chai wallahs). It is a blend of loose black tea, milk, water and spices. Most chai masalas (spice mixes) include cinnamon, ginger and cardamom, although other blends can include vanilla or black pepper. Chai is actually the generic word for tea in India.
Interestingly, the way I love my chai goes against the way I take any other tea: sweet and milky! It is comforting and soothing, as well as being exotic and complex in flavour. I have a lot of Indian friends, so after drinking it at their houses, I began my chai journey by mixing my own masala and brewing my tea in a saucepan the traditional way.
However lately I've been wanting my chai fix to be a bit more speedy. There are many chai tea blends available, both loose-leaf and bagged, so I decided to try the Twinings Spiced Chai. The gorgeously decorative packaging promised the perfect Indian brew, but honestly I was left feeling underwhelmed. The spice blend was good, but it overpowered the tea and left a powdery feeling in the mouth.
I've also tried the Drink Me Chai powder and again was left disappointed. The mission to find the perfect DIY chai is proving a highly difficult one! I'll of course keep you documented along the way. On a side note, if you live around the Cardiff area, Chaiholics on Wellfield Road is a great place to try authentic chai blends and yummy Indian food!
Great post! I have a pen pal who sends me indonesian tea (jasmine tea) it's wonderful if you like green teas etc x
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Thanks :) ooh that's so cool! I think I've only had jasmine tea once, I may be making that up though haha
ReplyDeleteLoves! Kirstie
Earl Grey is my absolute favourite though :) I like the Nero Chai best out of all the mainstream cafés :) We will educate the masses! Haha
ReplyDeleteLoves! Kirstie Xx.
Omg I thought that I was the only one who struggled with this. I also can't seem to find the perfect chai tea blend..every blend I try seems to miss something :(
ReplyDeletexo Izzy | http://qthee.com/
The first time I ever tried Chai Tea was handmade in Africa, so its safe to say I have the same issues and can't find one I like now!
ReplyDeleteAnnabel ♥
Mascara & Maltesers
I have to agree there! For me it's usually the texture that is wrong, you can feel the spices in your mouth :/
ReplyDeleteLoves! Kirstie Xx.
Oh wow, I can imagine it's definitely not the same over here! That must have been amazing though!
ReplyDeleteLoves! Kirstie Xx.
Chaiholics sell tea to take home and you can get it online. Perfect to have at home.
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to trying those ones :)
ReplyDeleteLoves! Kirstie
You'll have to let me know. My sister bought me back a tea masala spice mix from India recently. It's a shame we don't have it here!
ReplyDeleteOh wow! That's awesome! Will you be doing a post on it?
ReplyDeleteLoves! Kirstie