The Tea Scoop

Biscottea

December has officially arrived. The temperature this afternoon was twenty degrees colder than when I went into work this morning. Add rain and wind to that equation, and by the time I came home, I was ready to snuggle up in bed with a cup of tea and a sinful afternoon snack.  I've been on a bit of a chai kick lately, which is not altogether surprising since it happens every fall.  Today's chai came from Kalyustans in New York City, and I added a healthy dose of milk and sugar to make it nice and hearty.  While I was waiting for my tea to steep, I snacked on a slice of leftover pumpkin pie, then took my tea upstairs along with a cookie to drink tea under the covers while watching last night's Glee episode.  

It is of this cookie that I truly wish to write.  While I was shopping at Wegman's yesterday, I stumbled across Biscottea Chai Tea Shortbread.  Perhaps it is my inner Scot, but I'm quite a fan of shortbread.  Since I am also on that chai kick I told you about, something about buttery cookie plus spices sounded like a delicious idea.  However, I would like to take this time to point out that often "chai tea" flavored items often contain no tea at all.  This was the case with this cookies. Chai Spice Shortbread might have been a better name.  But the real question is: how were the cookies? 

Buttery.  Crumbly, in that way that shortbread has of being crumbly. Slightly spiced. Not too sweet.  And amazingly reminiscent of the tea that I drank to accompany them.  Verdict is that they were a nice accompaniment to my afternoon cuppa.  

Oregon Chai Goodies

"You have to try this," Kristen said as we stood at the counter at Cosi one wintry afternoon before a movie.  She was talking about chai lattes, something I had never experienced.  I ordered one and was rewarded with a spicy, creamy cup of goodness.  It was perfect for a blusteringly cold day.  Cosi proudly advertised the brand of their chai: Oregon Chai. 

Since then, I've moved away from pre-mixed chai lattes, preferring masala blends of whole leaf tea instead and adding my own milk and sugar.  Still, when Oregon Chai contacted me and wanted to send me samples, I couldn't resist for nostalgia's sake.  

When the box arrived yesterday, I was delighted to find some non drinkable goodies.  One was a double-walled acrylic reusable iced tea cup (although of course you could put any cold beverage in it).  I received one from the school I taught at and have been using it for months---these things are an adorable alternative to stainless steel water bottles. They look kind of like large disposable soft drink cups, but are hard and resilient. They even have a plastic straw. I've been using my other one to take iced tea to class, and now my husband is delighted that I have one to share. 

For hot tea days, there was an Oregon Chai mug, as well as a USB-powered mug warmer.  I know, it's gimmicky.  But I've secretly been wanting one. There's even settings for high and low.  Perfect for nights writing/grading papers.  

The final inclusion in the package was a little bit silly: a mood ring. It played with the theme that this drink is to help folks find a little "Me Time." As Oregon Chai wrote, the mood ring is "to help you keep a radar on how relaxed your really are." I thought it was a cute gimmick, although the other gifts were a bit more exciting.  Even more exciting: Oregon Chai is offering two giveaway prizes:

• 10-oz. canister sample paired with the hot mot
• 10-oz. sample with the double-walled acrylic reusable iced tea cup.

Look for details, coming soon, along with a review of the product. 

The Art of Tea: Australian Chai

Right now, while we're in the middle of blustery winter weather, the folks Down Under are enjoying their lovely summer season.  I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous.  I know, I know, I keep complaining about the winter weather.  But really, deep down, I know that I wouldn't be happy living anywhere that didn't have four seasons.  Because when spring does come, it's incredibly satisfying.  There's this release to it.  And the worse the winter, the better spring feels.  Plus, I really do love snow.  And the best tea for embracing winter is a nice spiced chai.  I find them incredibly warming in more than just their physical temperatures. It's the warm spicy flavor that just makes you feel somehow deeply warmer.  

So today, I'm drinking Australian chai, sent from Australia via a tea swap.  This tea from the company The Art of Tea is made up of Australian Breakfast Tea blended with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, star anise, and cardamom. I'll drink just about any tea with ginger in it, and it certainly enhances this one.  The star anise provides a lovely aroma, although its flavor is not very strong. The ginger and the cardamom are the stars of this show.  After a few sips of straight tea, I decide that this tea would take well to one of my favorite early morning treats.  It may sound truly crazy, but don't necessarily dismiss it before you try it if you like sweetened chai.  

Maple syrup.

Really. I'm serious.  I originally got the idea from a suggestion on a Yogic Chai package.  You have to use the real stuff, Grade A Maple Syrup. Aunt Jemima's maple flavored syrup isn't going to cut it for this. The real stuff has its own underlying spiciness that plays well with spiced teas while providing a slightly sweet note that's not as cloying as white sugar.  It works very well in this case. 

So what are you doing to keep warm? 

Lipton's Spiced Chai

Before I go any further, I need to apologize for my neglect over the past week. I'm afraid I let holiday preparations and finals frenzies get in the way. But here I am, contrite and with a review.  

If you know me, or have read this blog for awhile, you know I am not a fan of Lipton.  I can't stand the taste, and I don't like that they add dyes to it to make the brew darker.  On the other hand, it makes really great iced tea, so I haven't completely sworn off it.  Then, the owner of Old Town Coffee, Tea and Spice told me that Lipton is really working on improving. Not their basic bag, that's still the same old swill.  But they are branching out.  And this has been popping up in my tea swaps. They have single origin teas and pyramid tea bags now.  So, I've decided to give them not one more chance, but one more chance for each different tea bag that I received. 

I'm starting simple.  Lipton's Spiced Chai.  I was pleased to note on the website that this tea is certified by the Rainforest Alliance, meaning that it was farmed sustainably and without child labor.  On the taste side of things, the ingredients list includes Assam tea as well as a range of actual spices, although it's rounded out with "natural flavors" made of soy lecithin. Frankly, that was more than I expected to see on the label of a Lipton tea.  

Sitting here sniffing away, it smells spicy, and slightly sweet, almost like gingersnap cookies hot out of the oven. It's definitely a tempting aroma.  I know what you really want to know about is the taste.  It is actually quite nice.  Not amazing, not out of this world. But rather nice.  The Assam gives it some real body, unlike whatever usual tasteless mixture of fannings goes into their normal teabag.  It's not overly spicy or sweet, and the cloves and cardamom have center stage in this production.  Black pepper plays a supporting role, while ginger and cinnamon are in the chorus.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually like it.  It has a slightly different flavor profile from many spiced chais, which is nice.  Lipton did something original.  And having overcome this hurdle, I'm feeling a lot less apprehensive about trying the fancier teas that arrived in the last tea swap.  

So look forward to some single estate Kenyan from Lipton in the near future.  

Yogi Tea: Black Chai

After a few disappointing stops on the journey of chai, including one that didn't make it onto the blog, I was hoping for something a little better to help get me excited about trying new chais again. 

Thank you, Yogi Tea.  A little bit of sweetness came from stevia leaf, but the dominant spice is cardamom.  The black pepper gave it a nice kick, as did the ginger root. This is one of the spicier chais I have enjoyed, leaving behind a pleasant tingle on the tip of my tongue along with whiffs of cinnamon.  I would have liked to add just the slightest bit of milk and honey, but alas, had none on hand.  It would not need much honey as the stevia is a natural sweetener. My only complaint is that the Assam, a usually full-bodied tea, is completely overwhelmed by the spices.  Apparently the spices in this blend are Ayurvedic spices, so if you are into that kind of thing, this is a tea for you. My favorite quote from the company? "We don't have laboratories, we have kitchens."

Bravo, Yogi Tea.  I'll be looking for you again. 

Indonique Vanilla Chai

I know, I know, you are probably tired of reading about chai, I've been on such a spicy jag lately. But let's face it, there are just so many endless varieties to explore.  Most of the time, it's quite a pleasurable journey. Unfortunately, I need to report a less pleasant stop along the way. 

I had not heard of Indonique before I received this particular Vanilla Chai in a tea swap, so I can't attest to the quality of any of their other teas. Perhaps I simply got a bad batch, or not one of their best flavors.  But when I opened the bag, I was a bit dubious.  The leaves in the bag were little more than fannings, the tea dust used to fill teabags.  Taking a whiff did not improve my suspicions.  I could smell the tea, a blend of Indian teas, but there was hardly any vanilla scent at all, without a bit of the spiciness that we love so much in chai blends.  

Because of the small leaf size, I only steeped the tea for two minutes. (The smaller the leaf, the more quickly the tannins are released, causing the tea to become bitter). Even then, the tea was very tannic.  I could taste the Indian tea, which was fair, but nothing about the tea struck me as vanilla or chai in the slightest. 

I tried adding milk and honey, as these sometimes enhance flavors, but alas.  Nothing could improve this rather dull, bitter tea.  

I'd be interested in hearing from other Indonique customers, especially if they have a positive experience. I love to be wrong when I form a negative impression about a company.  

Adagio's Masala Chai

I drink variations of chai all year round, but it's in fall and winter that I really get in the mood for nice spicy teas, something a little richer to shield me from the cold outside. In preparation, I ordered Adagio's Chai Sampler, looking forward to its unique spectrum of chai. 

Adagio's Masala Chai is a Ceylon black tea with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, whole cloves, and other spices.  I love the inclusion of ginger in chai, because it gives the tea a completely different profile of spiciness than the more traditional peppercorns, more broad than sharp.  This masala also has an almost woody taste, like the cinnamon bark was still in my cup. It almost reminds me of mulled cider in the combination of spices.  It leaves the tongue slightly tingling.  

I have had two cups now of this tea without milk and sugar, and decided to try adding a little bit of rock sugar and vanilla almond milk, to see how things changed.  Depending on the tea, additives can either mask the flavor, or enhance different flavors than in the plain liquor.  In this case, the milk lessened the tingling sensation, and masked the woody flavor.  

This tea would not be my choice for an everyday beverage, as the flavors linger for quite awhile. But I think it would be a good tea to bring out around the holidays, perhaps to cut the sweetness of endless numbers of holiday cookies.