Masala Chai

One of my favorite chais, today I tried mixing in some plain tulsi from Organic India and it was good! I added some soymilk and I like it. A little minty but otherwise pretty groovy!

Speaking of groovy, I finished my blog post if you want read about hippie vegan adventures:

http://sanfrantea.teatra.de/?p=292

Backlogging. Last Saturday morning.

We got some not entirely unexpected bad new last the night before. So I let myself sleep in some and have a mug of chai, which is a bit of a treat for me. Made stovetop method, it was spiced and yummy. Again, the cardamom was way overpowering. I didn’t check my previous tealog before making it or I’d have known to use less green pods.

1 cup water. 1 tbsp natural cane sugar. bring to boil. 1 rounded tbsp chai tea leaf. simmer 6 min 30 sec. 1 cup almond milk. bring to boil. turn off heat. let steep 10 min.

Tried this today the Samovar way, with a tablespoon of chai and a tablespoon of black tea (Teavana Assam Gold Rain). Otherwise the same: 1 tbsp sweetener, 1 cup water till it boils mostly away, 1 cup milk, steep ten minutes in the milk after bringing to a boil.

This seems to be one way to make chai more chewy. I am going to be using this method from now on. Not sure this black tea was the best choice — I haven’t tried it outside of the chai experiment. But it tames the pepper just the right amount to keep it spicy while also giving it more substance and texture.

Mmm! I woke up with a horrible headache this morning so some strong black tea is in order. I brewed this up using the Samovar instructions and it is delicious!
2 cups of water and 1 TB dark brown sugar brought to a boil, added 1.5 TB chai and about 1 TB Rishi Golden Yunnan – boil for about 5-6 minutes. Then I added 2 cups of milk, removed the pan from heat, and covered it for about 10 minutes.
Not only does my house now smell delicious, I am drinking a thick, chewy, caramel-spicy mug of chai.

OK, so I tried it again! This time I brought 12oz water + 4oz milk + 2 tbsp chai masala to a slow boil in small pot. I let it cool down slightly, filtered it, and chucked it into a blender! This basically frothed it up a little. I tossed in some liquid honey and added some Cinnamon on top of the froth. Voila! a fuller more zesty tasting chai masala (than my previous taste test).

It’s not something I would drink everyday, but I would definitely buy this again. The change from green, black, and white teas to this spicy kick-of-a-chai is rewarding. It would be a nice drink to make for a group of friends.

It’s cold and raw in New York, but the Yankees are kicking butt and I’ve got a cup of some award-winning Rishi Masala Chai.

Yeah, this is pretty much to tea what mashed potatoes or scrambled eggs are to food, pure comfort. The best traditional Masala chai out there. And not only great-tasting, but since I don’t own stock in Monsanto I appreciate that it’s organic and I’m not getting a side of pesticide residue with my beverage.

Some tea snobs turn their noses up at chai. (“It’s not really a fine tea, old boy.”) But when you’re craving something rich, a cup of Darjeeling ain’t going to scratch the itch — not even the FTGFOP variety.

While it’s great if you make it the way you’d make your regular tea (use a five-minute steep), it’s even better if you make it the traditional Indian way. Forget the teapot and just use a saucepan. Two teaspoons of chai, one-and-a-half cups of water, half-cup of milk (or, in my case, vanilla Rice Dream), bring it to a boil and then let it simmer for five minutes. Add sugar, honey or agave syrup. Strain and serve and watch Mariano Rivera shut down the Angels for game number one. Strange. It doesn’t feel that cold in here any more.

mid afternoon mini monsoon calls for a nice milky, warm blend of masala chai! sure summer isn’t the typical time people think of undertones of cinni, cloves, carda… but then again my tea cravings are far from typical. so hah.

lovely with a steep brew and whole milk. and of course brown sugar!

yes, summer rain is now movie worthy! :)

AWESOME! When I smelled this tea…..It is the best smelling Chai! Cardamon and clove are up front with the black pepper and ginger following in toe. A perfect mixture to stir the senses. It looks delicious too. The wet leaves smell phenomenal!! That’s all I can say….sensory overload…in a good way. :))

In the cup I get mainly cardamon and clove, but the black pepper is quite noticeable….the ginger less so. The base tea was noticeable, which I like, even in a Chai, with the other flavors not completely overwhelming the tea. Delicious! I love the way the flavors dance on my tongue, and let me know they’ve been there even after the tea is gone. Three solid cups, just at or below boiling-for 3.5, 3.5 and 5 minutes. My last cup had the most cinnamon aroma and flavor, as it migrated to the bottom of the sample bag.

Overall, this is my favorite Chai, with a good balance of tea, aroma, and taste. A little more black pepper in the cup, and I’d have given it a perfect score. Many thanks Amy! :))

Cupped:Tue/Wed, 12-06 & 07, 2011. Reviewed: Wednesday, December 7, 2011.

THANK YOU TO RISHI TEA FOR THIS SAMPLE!
I have this as a concentrate – I will admit. I poured it over vanilla ice cream in my blender and made the BEST shake EVAR. The best way to describe this is, it tastes like christmas morning.

:D I love spicy!

Haven’t had this in a month or two-been opting for caffeine-free after dinner options most often lately.

This is a good and reliable masala. It has a bit more cardamon than I would like, but I can deal with it as long as I don’t inhale the dry blend too much. The cinnamon is very pronounced-to the point of having a bit of a spicy kick to it.

Brewed in mug and almond milk added after brewing. It’s better to brew together on the stove, but usually I just go with my tea boiler.