From Starbucks & Dunkin Donuts to the Corner Coffee Cart & your break room machine, Chai {tea drinks} seems to be popping up everywhere nowadays. I love Chai, but have always wondered why it tastes so different from shop to shop. Some are sugary sweet while others are subtly spicy; some are thick & syrupy while others are watery & meek.
So what exactly is Chai supposed to taste like? I took this question – & several others – straight to the source… our Shobha specialists, who all hail from the prime Chai territory of Southeast Asia! Here’s what I learned:
- ‘Chai’ means tea. So when you’re ordering a ‘Chai tea,’ you’re actually ordering a tea tea. Don’t feel stupid…we’ve all done it! Just remember to say ‘Chai’ next time you order, you’ll show off how learned you really are.
- You can have your Chai anyway you like it! In India, traditional Chai is robust & full of spices. Here in the states, the interpretation has been much sweeter, with sugary goodness often overpowering traditional spices with flavors of vanilla or chocolate.
- Chai has many benefits! The black tea base is rich in antioxidants & the spices have been used for thousands of years to promote general health & well-being. According to ayurvedic philosophy, these spices are considered to be calming, vitalizing, mentally clarifying & easing digestion – the perfect antidote to the stresses in your busy life!
- Thinking of replacing your coffee with Chai? It would take about 3 cups of Chai to equal the caffeine in 1 cup of coffee… so while this would cut down on your caffeine intake, it may also cut down on your alertness! Make this transition slowly & you should be fine! If you find yourself sleepless at night, try switching to Chai after noon so that your caffeine jitters have worn off by bedtime.
- Mix up your Chai with different flavors & benefits! Here’s my interpretation of a few Chai options.
- Happy Chai – add cardamom, a known mood elevator.
- Healthy Chai – add cloves, which have pain-relieving & antiseptic powers.
- Fresh Chai – add anise, which is widely used to freshen breath & aids in digestion.
- Sexy Chai – add cinnamon, which increases circulation & is a known aphrodisiac, plus reduces bloating. Perhaps you might also opt to do a fresh & sexy combo, if you’re into multi-tasking 🙂
Get great Chai recipes at here … & remember, if you’re out of sugar, try a dollop of our all-natural Shobha Sugaring Gel to sweeten it up!