Tuesday TeaDay 12/23/08 CHAI?

[kymidwife]

I haven't tried Chai, but I'm up for almost anything once.

Rishi's Jade oolong in my cup today. Oh my is this nice. I'm on my 4th cup today. Floral - smells like heaven. Nice flavor too. I just may have found a replacement for Teavana's monkey picked oolong. The price is about 1/2 of T's too!

Charlotte... if you are enjoying the greener oolong taste, Adagio's Oolong #18 is really nice and a decent price too. I also enjoyed Tung Ting Jade Oolong from SpecialTeas... a good value as well. Both are well worth trying.

Sarah

[chamekke]

I've made chai from scratch (black tea + adding spices one by one). However, I'm new to prepared blends.

Is it too personal to mention that I do use chai-scented deodorant? Yes, probably it is

Soon to be in my cup: Adagio's new Emerald Needle.

[sheila77551]

I have not tried chai yet, but would like to do so someday. Not knowing what it is supposed to taste like, I really appreciated Brandon's explanation,

"I have made and had Chai. I have never found a brick and mortar shop that would sell a respectable cup, I expect it to be bold and spicy, with enough sweetness to cool it down. Everyone seems to throw this balance out the window."

Thank you Brandon. In my cup today is something I have never tried either, genmai cha. I do not care for the smell, but the aftertaste is very nice and earthy (if that makes any sense) . I have a sample from Adagio starter box of green teas.
Sheila

[kymidwife]

I have had and made chai... enjoy it occasionally. I have also made my own blend from scratch with black loose leaf tea, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, etc. I love a bit of cayenne for a kick.

I enjoy the prepared blends too, and I really like a fruity addition to chai. One of my most popular Adagio Signature Blends has been my Peach Pie Chai, so I recently added Apple Pie Chai and Cherry Pie Chai.

I also love a really spicy chai with chocolate and hazelnut added... that was my after-dinner treat for my family on Thanksgiving. They all loved it.

I'm a bit lactose intolerant, so I don't do the "boiled in milk" thing... I just make traditional tea nice and strong and add a bit of milk or cream. No matter which version I have, it's very enjoyable and a great alternative to hot chocolate on a cold day.

Happy Tea Day,

Sarah

[gingkoseto]

Yep made it and had it. Chai is infinitely variable and always delicious! Since I have taken up with so many other kinds of tea, however, like this Lao Cong Shui Xian, there just doesn't seem to be room on the schedule for it these days.

Ahhh!!! This is so tempting! I've never had any lao cong or ming cong shui xian, trying to get some now!

Oh, about about Chai, I never had it. Actually I once took a bit from someone's cup and it spiced me up I was shocked to learn it was Chai, not the bitter herbal medicine I used to take every day It tasted so much like the herbal medicine I took as a child, so I guess need some time to gather my courage to try out my next bite of Chai

[auggy]

I've had chai before but never really made it, not properly at least. I've done the teabag form of it way back when as well as the little boxes of the concentrated stuff. DH is a bigger fan of it than I am. It's good - I like it sweet and milky - but ultimately it is a little strongly flavored for me to be a staple.

Cream mint today. Wish I had more. It is cold.

[Victoria]

Wish I had a steaming cup of it right now!!
We have a lot of glass in our office and me being the first one in,
it is always freezing in here!

In my cup this morning FLT Boazhong. Have a nice day everyone!

[Herb_Master]

Yep made it and had it. Chai is infinitely variable and always delicious! Since I have taken up with so many other kinds of tea, however, like this Lao Cong Shui Xian, there just doesn't seem to be room on the schedule for it these days.

How is your Old Bush Shui Xian - I have a few different ones still begging to be opened, 1 from Teacuppa, and 2 or 3 from Hou De - where is yours from and is it good!

I have not any loose leaf Chai, nor do I mix my own spices - but I have some bagged Kashmiri Green Chai, and Kashmiri Golden Chai.

I enjoy them when suffering from The Winter Cold or A Winter Cold.

[geeber1]

Yes and Yes on chai. I have never created my own, but Adagio's Masala Chai and Yogic Chai's Masala Chai are both excellent. Yogic Chai has a multitude of blends for different situations like stress relief, etc. but I've never tried those.

It's good for a sweet treat but might be overwhelming on a daily basis. I like to simmer the chai blend in water for five minutes, then add condensed milk to it after straining. The condensed milk doesn't thin the tea out and also sweetens it, so there's no need for additional sweetening to be added.

Some chatters mentioned pepper and anise, but I've never had chai with those ingredients in it. I don't think I'd like those versions.

This morning I'm having some cocomint green, hoping to fight off a cold.

[Geekgirl]

I've had many different kinds. My favorites are Rishi's Masala Chai, and the Vanilla Spice, Tra Que and Pumpkin Spice blends from Te Chai Te. I make mine in a saucepan, pretty much the 2:1 + boil + sweetener way described here. Although I don't boil the milk for the full time, I add it at the end and bring the mixture just back up to a boil for a few seconds, then strain and serve.

I don't like or want it everyday, but we do have it often because hubby likes it too. I like my chai a little bit peppery, but not too overbearingly peppery. It's all subjective.

[Salsero]

How is your Old Bush Shui Xian - I have a few different ones still begging to be opened, 1 from Teacuppa, and 2 or 3 from Hou De - where is yours from and is it good!

The one pictured is the Teacuppa one and frankly I was not very impressed -- but in fairness, it was also not extremely expensive at 17¢ a gram. I think ABx has had better luck brewing it.

I really don't drink Shui Xian as often as I should, but by far the best Wuyi SX I have had were from TIM of this forum who gets it direct from the farmer, made to his specifications. Most have been pretty heavily roasted, but the ones from Tim were a lighter roast and still commanding full attention.

A couple years ago I had a nice SX from Dragon Tea; I've had some fine aged ones from TeaMasters; and I also had quite a nice Guangdong Shui Xian from Jing.

[Herb_Master]

How is your Old Bush Shui Xian - I have a few different ones still begging to be opened, 1 from Teacuppa, and 2 or 3 from Hou De - where is yours from and is it good!

The one pictured is the Teacuppa one and frankly I was not very impressed -- but in fairness, it was also not extremely expensive at 17¢ a gram. I think ABx has had better luck brewing it.

I really don't drink Shui Xian as often as I should, but by far the best Wuyi SX I have had were from TIM of this forum who gets it direct from the farmer, made to his specifications. Most have been pretty heavily roasted, but the ones from Tim were a lighter roast and still commanding full attention.

A couple years ago I had a nice SX from Dragon Tea; I've had some fine aged ones from TeaMasters; and I also had quite a nice Guangdong Shui Xian from Jing.

Thanks for the info, it may be the one I have tried, not overly impressed either a bit mellow and bland - but comforting enough - and a lot lot better than the aged SX I had from Hou De charcoal start, charcoal midle, charcoal finish - but I have several more Hou De sx' to open so they may prove better.

Also I have yet to really work out what to do with aged Oolong maybe I should try reroasting or vary something else in my tea brewing parameters.

[Gu-Ao-Rui]

I've had and made masala chai. This was actually how I got some of my friends who disliked tea their whole life to like tea: make them some Indian traditional masala chai.

I'm not much of a tea-blender myself however. Surprised no one has mentioned yet that "chai" technically just refers to tea in India. In the Western World, Masalachai (spiced tea) would be a mouthful.

[Salsero]

a lot lot better than the aged SX I had from Hou De charcoal start, charcoal midle, charcoal finish - but I have several more Hou De sx' to open so they may prove better.

Also I have yet to really work out what to do with aged Oolong maybe I should try reroasting or vary something else in my tea brewing parameters.

I have often found Hou De oolongs too roasted for my taste. I shy away from more roasted things usually.

Yes, try re-roasting enough for one session. Several members here have been pretty happy re-roasting mediocre or stale tea. I have only done it once, but the results were quite nice ... a stale 2007 DHP from YSLLC. This year's, BTW, is quite good and inexpensive ... I believe he is calling it Big Red Robe rather than Da Hong Pao.

[Jack_teachat]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7796751.stm

Some hope for Whittard yet!

Jack