Tiger Chai

This tea is called Tiger Chai Tea, loose leaf tea by Eastern Shore Tea Co. Interesting to note is that it is subtitled, "A spicy Indian adventure," and enhanced by an image of a Bengal tiger roaming freely between some circus tents. Sounds like quite an adventure to me!

Flavor: Heavy on the spices, this tea does not have have the heavy tannic taste that some black teas possess. Instead, you can feel the soft burn of ginger, clove, cinnamon, and a few other "warm" spices. Also, I have added a bit of milk, so the whole thing has a bit of a creamy texture going down.

Suggested Additions: Chai is a traditional Indian tea made with spices, sugar, and milk. So to call it chai and put anything besides that in it, would make you a liar. If you don't want sugar and milk, just call it spiced Indian tea. Also, to say "chai tea" as the label on the bag says, is redundant. But now I sound like a tea snob, so whatever, I can't win. I do one-and-a-half teaspoons of white sugar, and a splash of milk- just enough to make it a light brown color. In traditional Indian households, the milk-water mixture is boiled in a sauce pan with the tea and spices in a special method which I am unable to replicate, but its effect is to make the flavors of all the ingredients seem more integrated and rich-tasting. A friend of mine makes it like this, then pours it over ice after it has steeped for a while. I have tried it iced in this way as well and it is very refreshing, although I feel the flavors are more present when the tea is warm. If you choose to ice it, I would suggest allowing it to steep for a bit longer before pouring it over the ice.

Ingredients: Blended black teas, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, vanilla beans, honey, vanilla flavoring

Purpose: an invigorating way to wake up in the morning, a refreshing mid-afternoon treat, and, according to the packaging label: "Work sometimes is a circus but we have the perfect antidote for you: Tiger Chai Tea."