Oct 30
Review: Yogic Chai Mint Masala Chai
Assam Tea, Cardamom Tea, Chai Tea, Cinnamon Tea, Clove Tea, Ginger Tea, Peppermint tea, Yogic Chai Add commentsDan’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "When brewed properly, this is a sublime and unique tea that's suitable for sipping any time of day, and makes a particularly good nightcap."
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Yogic Chai is a New jersey outfit that specializes in providing loose leaf chai blends with 100% organic ingredients. It is, essentially, a husband and wife duo who have recently come into tea love and knowledge (via their travels in India and their experiences with Indian folk in the US), and their story is honest and true, and just the kind of company I wholeheartedly like to support.A few months ago I wrote a review of this tea that left an underwhelming impression on me. The owners of the company took the time to contact me and send me a fresh sample, sure that the batch I had received was stale. They kept in communication, and were kind enough to send an additional sample of another of their blends on my request. This level of service and attention to detail is rather unparalleled these days.
The Mint Masala Chai blend sounded intriguing to me, and I was really looking forward to it. The blend consists of the usual suspects found in a Masala chai -- Assam tea, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and ginger -- but with the addition of peppermint. I love a good Masala chai, and I am very fond of peppermint teas, so I dug in with great anticipation. That aforementioned first time had me believing this was quite a bland tea. However, the problem partially lies in two categories: (1) I believe the sample I had first received *was* probably a bit older and perhaps not as fresh as it should have been. As this blend consists mainly of herbs and spices, it must retain a certain freshness to give its all to the flavor of the tea. It should be treated as with any spices or herbs. (2) I take fault in that I was not preparing this tea properly. The Yogic Chai website has a little instructional video, and accompanying written directions, to explain the proper way to brew their teas.
In fact, *all* Masala Chai should be brewed in this manner. I had previously been brewing Masala Chai teas like any other tea - throw it in the pot, add some boiling water, infuse for a few minutes, and be done with it. However, Yogic Chai recommends add 1 tsp of their tea to 1 cup of water, adding 1/4 cup of milk or cream, and bring that to a boil - then simmer for 2 minutes, strain, add sweetener if desired, and enjoy. I took this approach with my new batch, and the difference is like night and day.
Whereas previously I thought the flavor was too weak, this time the flavors really popped, and it was a beautiful chai with just the right amount of mint (a small hint of it - not too overpowering), and the spices were a bit on the milder side, but somehow this seemed just right when paired with the mint. I infused the tea with fat free half and half, and this was delicious - creamy and tasty, just as a Masala Chai should be, but quite guilt free.
I think the beauty of this tea is the same thing that caused my adverse reactions previously. And that is the fact that these herbs and spices are all natural. That is a rare thing of beauty in today's times -- all too often we get teas that are infused with "natural flavors" and extracts and various methods of "cheating", whereas the herbalists behind Yogic Chai strive to keep their teas 100% natural, as nature intended them.
Although I can say that I have brewed many other Masala Chai teas with plain old water in my ingenuiTEA, and they have tasted fine, that does not work with this tea, so it does knock it down a point or two. But when brewed properly, this is a sublime and unique tea that's suitable for sipping any time of day, and makes a particularly good nightcap.
— To purchase Yogic Chai Mint Masala Chai, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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