Second Steep
8 ounces water + 205 degrees + 10 minutes
This is my second cup of this, or rather my third since this is the second steep of my second cup. The cup I had yesterday I steeped according to the instructions on the bag – 1.5 teaspoons for a 12 ounce cup. It didn’t seem as flavorful to me as I though it would be based on the smell so today I shook the bag really well and dropped to my normal measurements of 1 teaspoon for an 8 ounce cup. The ratios didn’t change but for some reason the flavor is there now. I’m certainly not complaining about that! I’m sure shaking the spices around in the bag helped.
This really is a beautiful mix and so fragrant. The majority of the blend is made up of twisty black tea leaves. There is shredded coconut and something like bark which I am assuming is the honeybush. I don’t see any cumin seeds but it may be that ground cumin was used as part of the the mix of spices listed in the ingredients. Or maybe I’m just not seeing it. The tea smells sweet and mostly of coconut, but there is a spiced note as well. Maybe cloves? I’m not smelling the cumin just yet.
I’ve enjoyed both the first and second cups of this, though both were a little different. The first cup was dark and rich with more coconut flavor alongside the black tea base. The second cup is lighter but the spices are more noticeable. I’m still not tasting the cumin directly. I’m not picking up on any smokiness either, only sweet spices. I’m certainly not disappointed. This is a really good chai. It’s maybe just not as unique as I expected it to be. I plan on trying another mugful soon and will try shaking it more to see if I can pick up some of that smoky flavor I’m missing. I may also try the original instructions for steeping again to see if that might make a difference too.
Flavors: Cloves, Coconut, Spices, Sweet
Preparation
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I toasted the cumin seeds and then crushed them with my mortar and pestle. :)
Well that explains why I couldn’t see it! I’ll try shaking it more next time. I bet that will do the trick. I can’t believe you toasted and then crushed the seeds by hand. What incredible attention to detail! I’m so glad I’m getting the chance to try your teas.
I should probably be shaking the bags before putting the tea in the steeper. I bet that would even out the flavors (I didn’t actually check to see if any cumin seeds made it into the batch I brewed).
Yes, it would be a good idea to shake the pouches of any of my teas – but especially if they’re spiced/chai blends because the spices will settle to the bottom. If the ingredients list vanilla bean, I’d suggest shaking it. Anything where the ingredients would be small and easy to shift toward the bottom of the pouch.
I toasted the cumin seeds and then crushed them with my mortar and pestle. :)
Well that explains why I couldn’t see it! I’ll try shaking it more next time. I bet that will do the trick. I can’t believe you toasted and then crushed the seeds by hand. What incredible attention to detail! I’m so glad I’m getting the chance to try your teas.
I should probably be shaking the bags before putting the tea in the steeper. I bet that would even out the flavors (I didn’t actually check to see if any cumin seeds made it into the batch I brewed).
Yes, it would be a good idea to shake the pouches of any of my teas – but especially if they’re spiced/chai blends because the spices will settle to the bottom. If the ingredients list vanilla bean, I’d suggest shaking it. Anything where the ingredients would be small and easy to shift toward the bottom of the pouch.