Nov 10
Review: Tavalon Kashmiri Chai
Almond Tea, Cardamom Tea, Cinnamon Tea, Clove Tea, Ginger Tea, Nutmeg Tea, Safflower Tea, Tavalon Add commentsJoe’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "Chai without black tea is like salsa without jalapeños.
"
|
Tavalon’s Kashmiri Chai uses Indian green tea as its base and for flavoring adds ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, clove, safflower, cardamom and almond. I should say upfront, that I am a great lover of all sorts of Indian chais, but I have never enjoyed any made with green tea. Chai without black tea is like salsa without jalapeños. However, as you can see from my rating, although this is not my favorite Kashmiri Chai, it’s not bad. In fact I would say it is interesting and worth trying.The dry ingredients are particularly intriguing. I’ve never seen almonds in tea. This mixture has a distinct flowery scent with a strong presence of cinnamon and almond in the background. Wet, the smell is overpowered by cinnamon.
I steeped one teaspoon of this blend in eight ounces of water for 3 minutes. This produced a cloudy brown liquor that smelled mostly of cinnamon and had a rather flowery and nutty flavor. As with most chais, I added cream and honey. It was a pleasant taste, but I could not call it a chai. Or perhaps this is a chai for people who go to Thai restaurants and order Pad Thai. It’s mild and safe.
I thought I could overwhelm my taste buds by making another cup, but with two teaspoons of tea rather than one and with no honey. This only made a slightly bitter beverage with a less pleasant smell. I should also mention that this delicate blend is very sensitive to water temperature and brewing time. I would be certain to keep the temperature of the water below 180 degrees and the steep time under three minutes.
There is one other reason I gave this tea a good rating. I sensed that it was made from exceptionally high quality ingredients.
Special Offer! For a limited time, Tavalon is offering 25% off for Teaviews Readers. Use the promo code: teaviews when you order at Tavalon
 |
Joe Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Joe's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Joe. |
Recent Comments