So, I got this as a free sample, which is good for multiple reasons. For one thing, you have to buy at least 2 oz of each tea when you go to Teavana and since this is a blend, that means 4 oz of tea (probably putting you back $15). Second, this is a tea that Teavana likes to push so it's nice that I get the experience without having to buy the extra tea. And lastly, I like chai a lot. Ok, the last thing I tried from Teavana was a flop, but that can happen.
Outsides: I'm feeling lazy so I'll just say that this is a blend of green mate, green rooibos and oolong with all those fantansic chai spices. I brewed about 2 teaspoons of this at near boiling for 5 minutes. The tea is a medium dark murky brown and smells sweet and spicy.
Insides: This is actually a pretty good chai and if I didn't have Adagio and the spices to make chai at home, I would probably get suckered into it. It's a strong chai with a lot of pepper and ginger, but it's paired with a base that isn't so bitter so you can drink it without milk. This sample already has sugar in it so I'm not really pleased about that, and the tea is a bit heavy on the cardamon. But this is definately something I'd drink for breakfast since the mate gives a lot of energy (perfect to drink before a night out).
Overall: I don't think you should buy this for the price they're asking for it but I like it. Look online for the free sample codes.
My Rating: Try it!
Teavana is a chain tea retailer found in many a mall across U.S.A and Canada.
What would you do to make this tea yourself? I love this tea but hate the price :D
ReplyDeleteIf you want this particular kind, you want a base of oolong, yerba mate and green rooibos (I would probably go with a formosa oolong since it's a bit bolder and will act as contrast to the other herbs), but whatever kind of tea works and I personally like using plain rooibos. When I make my own chai, I use a base recipe like this (http://tasty-yummies.com/2011/11/07/homemade-chai-tea-concentrate/ ) and then play around by adjusting the amount of ingredients or adding my own (vanilla and cocoa powder work great for sweetness while red chili flakes add an extra kick). I also wouldn't be afraid to use the ground stuff like preground cinnamon or nutmeg since it's probably something you have lying around the house anyway, but be mindful that fresh spices are stronger.
DeleteIt looks like the Teavana version has a bit more emphasis on the ginger and the sweet fruit aspects of the chai so I would add a bit of extra orange zest and possibly add some pineapple juice as a sweetener. Also, the green rooibos is a pain in the ass and will go through any tea strainer so I'd recommend getting the make-it-yourself tea sachets to put it and possibly some smaller spices in. I'd also maybe soak your spices first then add the tea when the water reaches an appropriate temperature (Mate and Oolong both need less than boiling) and then steep those. Obviously, this is for a big amount in a pot, but I guess you could also try making a dry blend by trial and error. Anyway, good luck!