Tea is one of the oldest drinks in the world. It's also one of the most popular ones nowadays. Millions and millions of people consume it every day because it has so much history and offers many different flavours and health benefits. There are hundreds of loose-leaf chai tea varieties, and it may seem impossible to try them all in one lifetime, but here are 5 that everyone should have at least once.
Chai Tea Blends
The world of tea is vast and full of varieties. Manufacturers often turn to blends and mixtures to create a new flavour and bring it to your cups. This blending process is simply mixing flavourful and unique chai tea leaves and spices with different characteristics to get a delicious final product. The main goal is to remain consistent and bring out the different flavours of the blend’s components.
There are several ways to blend or flavour the tea. The first one is with inclusions which means adding herbs, blossoms or fruits for a visual and sensory effect. The second way are extracts. Manufacturers extract the essential oils from roots, blossoms or fruits and mix it with the tea. The third way is with natural identical flavouring agents. This is done through a chemical synthesis.
Next are artificial flavours and the final way is scenting. Scenting is done by just placing the wanted scent close to the tea. It's a simple, yet very effective process. There are hundreds of blends in the world, some are more popular than others, but each one is unique. A blend of Indian tea and chocolate tea is a very popular variety. It also has some spices such as cloves, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon.
One blend you can drink both hot and cold is the Indian tea and vanilla one. It's sweet, decadent, rich and aromatic. If you want something caffeine-free, go for the rooibos tea infused with warm spices and herbs. There's also something for the chilly lovers. A blend of Indian black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves all topped off with chilli flakes and seeds. This is a combo that won’t disappoint you in any way.
If you’re a fan of green tea, there’s something for you as well. The sencha chai tea is a green tea blended with soft, warm spices. Brew it and add some runny honey to it to get the flavours and aromas out. There are many other blends out there, but it’s very important to find a good tea supplier or store. Do your research and find someone who knows what they’re doing and has a lot of experience in this business.
Artisan Tea
You've probably heard of artisan tea at some point in your life, but do you know what it really means? Artisan is essentially a second word for handmade. So, artisan tea is a natural, handmade type of tea. This means that manufacturers don’t use heavy machinery during production. Every part of the process is done manually or semi-manually. There’s a whole chain of production steps, and every step is done by a different person (an expert in their job).
These teas grow in ecologically balanced environments. This means they use naturally composed fertilizers and healthy soils. To get high-quality loose-leaf chai tea these manufacturers manually remove the grass to protect the tea and use traditional wisdom and methods to ensure you get the best in your cup.
They also choose specific locations to grow it. Geographic indications such as latitude, altitude, air, water, temperature differences, water, air moisture and shadows can greatly affect the quality of the chai tea leaves. You can migrate the tee trees, but the flavour and quality will be different from one location to another.
There are many reasons why you should buy and enjoy artisan teas. They have a superior, rich flavour you’ll get with every sip. Because of how they’re grown they’re rich with antioxidants and beneficial compounds. This makes them very beneficial for our health. They're made through sustainable farming practices, and you’ll get a cultural experience through the flavour.
Black Tea
Did you know that black tea originated from China? Even though is the most popular tea variety from Eastern countries, that’s not where it came from. Black tea has a long and rich history. Travelers, conquerors and explorers took it all over the world and people loved it. It became very popular and increased the demand for tea.
There are several varieties of black tea:
- Assam – bold, malty, works well with milk and sugar;
- Darjeeling – soft, herbaceous, a nice base for chai;
- Ceylon – brisk, strong, small hint of spice;
- Kenyan – full-bodied, assertive flavour.
Earl Grey
This is one of the most popular tea varieties in the world. Traditionally made with a black tea base and oil from the rind of the bergamot orange, this traditional British tea is very flavourful. According to popular belief, the modern bergamot orange cultivar is a cross between the sweet lime/lemon of Southeast Asia and the bitter Seville orange of the Mediterranean. A simply unforgettable combination.
Earl Grey is flavoured when the leaves are completely dried. Manufacturers do it by either blending it with flowers, spices or herbs or spraying or coating it with essential oils and extracts. When you buy it, make sure you keep it in a cool, dark and dry place. It won’t go bad, but it can lose the flavour otherwise.
Matcha
This might be the most popular tea on this list when it comes to younger generations. Match tea has become a huge trend among certain generations and inspired many people to turn towards tea as their drink of choice. It originated in China, but soon the Japanese made it very popular.
Matcha is a tea that has many wonderful properties and brings a lot of health benefits because it’s rich in antioxidants. In just 2g of match, you’ll get 5 calories, 3g of protein, 0g of fat and 0g of carbs. Plus, it’s rich in vitamins and minerals. To describe its taste, people often use the word umami. Umami is a Japanese word for a 5th flavour. Overall, match is a very healthy and delicious tea variety you need to try as soon as possible.
