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“Cooked on the stovetop. I like this chai with honey. Some chais I find the molasses element of raw, turbinado sugar to be most complementary, but this one loves honey. It isn’t the most...” Read full tasting note
“LiberTEAs sent me some of this – thanks so much!!! This is a mighty fine chai! I really like this! The black tea is STRONG and the spices accompany it very well! The flavor is great! NomNomNom…” Read full tasting note
“I was thrilled to find this at TJ Maxx today! An 8 oz. bag for only $6.99. I figured I’d give it a try because the base is Assam (which I love), and it smelled good through the bag. The black tea...” Read full tasting note
“Yum! Chai! I have enjoyed two cups of this today – the first was non-latte, the second, latte. I like it served either way but prefer this one as a latte. The milk makes it a creamy treat. This...” Read full tasting note
Introduction:
Chai is an integral part of life in India and simply translates to ‘Tea’ in Hindi. Calling it ‘Chai tea’ is considered redundant. In India, ‘Chaiwallahs’ (tea vendors) are present at street corners brewing basic black tea with spices.
500 Mile Chai
The tale of ‘500 Mile Chai’ originates from the many late night truck drivers stopping at small Chai stands ‘Dhabas’ on the highway and asking for really strong, sweet Chai to help them drive long distances (in a humorous tone – ‘for another 500 miles’).
Choice of the Leaf
The grade of tea commonly used for Chai is known as ‘Cut, Tear and Curl (CTC)’, representing a heavily rolled leaf pellet with very low moisture content. It is ideal for boiling, which is the traditional way to make Chai.
Golden Brew
Once the leaf has been optimally boiled, adding milk and sugar provides a delightful ‘Golden Glow’.
Organic Spices
We hand blend the black tea with organic spices – ginger, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.
Chai Utensils
Chaiwallahs in India offer chai in simple kettles and small tapered glasses. ‘Kasoras’ (Chai Cups) made of low fired clay are also famous for imparting a distinct ‘Earthiness’ to the brew. After drinking, people will typically throw away the kasoras.
Flavor Profile: Strong, malty, spicy.
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Cooked on the stovetop.
I like this chai with honey. Some chais I find the molasses element of raw, turbinado sugar to be most complementary, but this one loves honey.
It isn’t the most ground-breaking of spice mixes, but it’s good. Let’s be honest here: chai is, unless it’s imbalanced, pretty standard in what it delivers. Most chai blends use the same Masala-like spices. Those that improvise on this formula succeed or fail but still retain something essentially chai-like, and fill the same niche as a beverage. Some of us will prefer chai that leans on one spice or another more heavily than the rest, because individual tastes vary, but most of us who like chai in a general way will be happy to drink these variations on a theme, too.
What I particularly like about this chai, aside from the way it makes delicious friends with honey, is that it is rocket fuel.
I am not even joking.
A double-cup-deep mug of this, and I am good to go all day long.
Some days, that isn’t necessary…
And some days, it really, really, really is.
Here’s hoping that I can actually manage to herd cats well enough to get my protagonists arrested today, shall we? They have been defying me for weeks.
I was thrilled to find this at TJ Maxx today! An 8 oz. bag for only $6.99. I figured I’d give it a try because the base is Assam (which I love), and it smelled good through the bag. The black tea is strong, and the spices are very well-balanced (which is basically the gist of what every reviewer has mentioned before me). The cardamom flavor is definitely there, with cinnamon and the rest of the gang trailing behind. The smell is creamy with lots of spice. I’m drinking it without milk, and I added a bit of turbinado sugar. So good!
Yum! Chai!
I have enjoyed two cups of this today – the first was non-latte, the second, latte. I like it served either way but prefer this one as a latte. The milk makes it a creamy treat. This one is well spiced, but the tea is definitely the star of this chai. It is STRONG!
The spices in this blend are in good balance. It is not a raging rampage of ginger and cinnamon. The cardamom and cloves are also represented well here and it is a delicious combination.
This is one of those teas that makes me want to order a milk frother immediately. It tastes great with and without milk, BUT the spice mix reminds me of the chai latte that I used to get at a coffee shop where I want to school and it was so delicious and I want to remake it ASAP.
It’s possible that it tastes even better because of the amazing price I paid at HomeGoods but it is a nice chai tea nonetheless.
This isn’t my very favorite chai blend, but it comes in at second place, nevertheless. The black tea is strong, but the proportion of spices is not very great, so I always add extra peppercorns, cardamom, and anything else I have on hand.
The best way to make this chai is on the stovetop, which is more time consuming but yields a stronger, more flavorful chai. If you know the ratio of water to milk you prefer (1:1, for instance), you can make a single serving or a large batch all at once. Start by heating your water to a boil in a pot (extra spices can be added to the water as it heats). Then, add a generous spoonful of tea per intended cup of chai, and allow to simmer for five minutes. Next, add the milk of your preference and allow to heat until it just returns to a simmer, at which point you should remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for another five minutes. Strain and serve. If honey is your sweetener of choice, add it after straining; otherwise, a spoonful of sugar per cup of liquid can be added at any point. Keep in mind that if you’re making only a single serving, some of the liquid will evaporate or be absorbed by the tea leaves, so you’ll end up with a very concentrated cup, so you may want to use a little extra water/milk; making a large batch makes this less noticeable.
As for me, I like using half milk and half water in my chai, so if I want to make two cups, I start with a cup of water, add two or three spoonfuls of tea, and then add the cup of milk. Voila.
This tea makes a fantastic chai. This tea is really to strong for me to drink without adding milk and sugar. This is how I prepare it –
Bring to a boil 2 cups of water and 8 tsp turbinado sugar (more or less, depending on your taste).
Add 2-4 teaspoons 500 mile chai and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Add two cups of milk and gently simmer for 5 minutes, or until the milk makes a bit of a skin.
Stir, strain and enjoy.
This is a note for a tea I’ve tried recently, while on the subject of chais. I thought this was really rough! Not so much the spices as the tea itself, which was strong and bitter. I tried it on the stovetop and in a pot. Both ways were undrinkable, no matter what I added. This tastes just how I imagine an Indian trucker’s tea might taste.
I’m another one of those “got it at Home Goods/TJMaxx” people. How could I resist at the low price for so much tea! Plus I find that I really enjoy Tao of Tea brand teas. This one’s really nice, very pleasant, although quite mild for me. I don’t like super spicy masala chai, so it works. Nice blend of spices, but again, super mild, and I’m not getting much flavor from the Assam base. I would theorize that maybe the way Tao of Tea packages its teas makes it susceptible to losing flavor, but the other flavors I’ve tried from this brand (Ginger Peach, Black Mango) are still super flavorful. Anyway, it’s a nice drinker for when I feel too lazy to make my own masala chai – and I always prefer my own made from scratch – easier to control the spices that way!
FWIW – brewed up the black tea and just added evaporated milk after it was done steeping. Did not make it on the stovetop. Like I said – for when I’m lazy!
Flavors: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Ginger
