If you are not 100% satisfied with any of our blends, as long as you return the product to us within 30 days, we will either issue you a refund or give you store credit, whichever you prefer.
1) You cannot have Chai without milk because otherwise it will not be Chai, so no need to use the word Latte!
2) No need to use the word Tea, because Chai means Tea!
The proper name of Chai Tea Latte is Masala Chai, a drink that originated in India hundreds of years ago. Yes! believe it or not, Indians have been drinking "Chai Tea Latte" since the 1800's!
In a way it is good that they use a different name here in USA for masala chai, because otherwise it would be an insult to call Masala Chai to what they sell here in most coffee shops as a Chai Tea Latte. Here is why:
1) You hardly taste any spices in a Chai Tea Latte, actually none at all!
2) If you read the ingredients on the label, you realize that some of them don't even use milk, but a non-dairy creamer!
3) With all the sugar that they add to it, including corn syrup, instead of being a healthy beverage full of antioxidants, it becomes a hazard to your health!
4) The worst thing I have seen is one that is not made from REAL tea either, but from tea powder or tea concentrates.
....in the end, a real disaster!
I don't mean to sound so critical, but it is the true. When I came back from India I was really disappointed not been able to find some real chai, so I had no choice but to start making my own.
I understand the convenience of having a Chai Tea Latte concentrate, but it is not a reason to use poor quality ingredients. You can make a really good concentrate using good quality organic tea and spices. As a matter of fact, you can make a great concentrate, probably the best out there, using our blends!
There are 3 elements that you can use to judge the quality of a particular Chai
1) The quality of the Tea: Is it Organic or not? Does it brew a strong cup?
2) The quality of the Spices: Again, are they Organic or not? Do they smell fresh or have they been sitting there for years? If you can't smell them, you will not taste them.
3) The quality of the blend: How well balanced the blend itself is. Too much tea and few spices will not give you a good masala taste. Too much of one spice either.
I am going to show you how easy it is to make a "Chai Tea Latte" ;) using our most traditional blend of masala chai...Simply click "Play" and enjoy!
If you prefer to make you own from scratch, here is a good "Chai Tea Latte" recipe for 2 cups:
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 8 green cardamom pods
- 2 slices fresh ginger, peel
- 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 inches long
- 2 whole cloves
- 2/3 cups of whole milk or low fat
- 3 tsp of loose Assam Tea
- 2 Tbs of Agave Syrup
Instructions:
1) Crush the cardamom and cloves together until the cardamom pods open up.
2) Put the water and spices into a pot and bring to a boil.
3) Simmer for 5min.
4) Add the milk and Tea and bring mixture to almost boiling and turn off the heat.
5) Allow the brew to infuse the tea for about 2-3 min.
6) Strain the chai, add 1Tbs of sweetener to each cup, stir and enjoy!
Hope you enjoy this article!
Ricardo
This article was published on Sunday 13 September, 2009.
