My experience with Chai...

These teas can resemble virtually any flavor imaginable.


Jan 1st, '09, 13:43
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Joined: Dec 5th, '08, 19:35

My experience with Chai...

by nemesis256 » Jan 1st, '09, 13:43

So a couple months ago when I started drinking tea, I tried Chai from The Fragrant Leaf. I did not like it at all, it had way too much cardamon. Now just tried some from Starbucks and I enjoyed it very much. It seems they use Tazo for their teas, so I'm guessing it was just a teabag. When I tried making my own, I did try it with milk on the stove top. It still had too much cardamon and also tasted watery (with 1% milk). So did I do something wrong? Was the chai I had not good? Would Adagio's Masala Chai be any different?

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Jan 1st, '09, 14:12
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by kymidwife » Jan 1st, '09, 14:12

I have found Tazo tends to be milder in flavor than most of the nicer loose-leaf chai blends I've purchased. I also got some Stash chai teabags that tasted very similar to Tazo. My own preference is for spicier more robust chai, so I wasn't too impressed with either Tazo or Stash.

If you're adventurous, you might try blending your own. I have done so with very good results... basic loose-leaf black tea of your choice, and then a blend of your own preference of spices. There are lots of blending recipes online, and it would enable you to adjust the cardamom to your own taste. I originally made my own because I wanted more peppery taste... so I added cracked black peppercorns and crushed cayenne... and cut back on the cloves, which are not my favorite flavor... used some cardamom, allspice, a couple of cloves, cinnamon sticks, etc. If you like to dabble in the kitchen, it's a fun project. And even sealed up in a ziplock, it smells up my whole pantry now. So if you don't enjoy the flavor, you can use it for homemade potpourri!

Sarah
***This organic blend is earthy & spicy, with a fragrant aroma & smooth flavor to captivate the senses. Naturally sweetened in the Kentucky sunshine & infused with natural energy. Equally delicious when served piping hot or crisply chilled.***

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Jan 1st, '09, 22:05
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by Vulture » Jan 1st, '09, 22:05

First I have to say Try Adagio Masala Chai. It is a really good chai blend. Second is that 'Chai' just translates to Tea. What you usually try is a masala or ginger chai blend.

The main way of brewing chai is IN milk not with milk. This imparts the flavor to the milk instead of it getting watered down. The other option is to add cream or even chocolate milk.

The adagio masala chai is one of my favorites and I make it many ways to get different tastes. I both love the chocolate milk one for desert or replacing a hot coco. Sometimes I like it strait with nothing in it.

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Jan 1st, '09, 22:09
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by Victoria » Jan 1st, '09, 22:09

If you were blending 12oz of water and 6oz of milk, about how much of a premixed Chai mix would you use?

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Jan 2nd, '09, 00:58
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by geeber1 » Jan 2nd, '09, 00:58

Nemesis,
I don't know where you're located, but here in the Pacific NW we can buy the Tazo chai concentrate at the grocery store. My daughter used to work for Starbucks and that is what they use for their chai lattes.
I second Vulture's recommendation of Adagio's Masala Chai, and there's also an online vendor called yogicchai.com that sells a lot of Chai blends. The original Masala Chai is excellent! I haven't brewed it in milk, but do brew it on the stovetop in water, then I used canned condensed milk to sweeten it and to add the milk.

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