This is among my favorite chai mixes. My sister makes chai from spices she brought back from a 6 month journey through India. That's the best chai I've ever had. It's also the most time consuming chai to make, involving multiple steps and cooking in a saucepan over an oven range. But this is a reasonable substitute considering it's so ridiculously easy to make. Add water, a little milk or half and half, and sweetener of choice, et viola! Delicious chai in seconds!
I've attempted a variety of creations with this mix trying to get it just right but I must confess I've not mastered it though I'm halfway through my second jar. Here are my tips for making a great tasting chai using Blue Lotus brand Chai.
First, feel free to experiment. The directions instruct you to mix 4oz of water with this mix until throughly mixed together. Then add 4oz of milk and heat. This works really well but doesn't need to be the way you make your chai every time. Try a variety of different things until you find something that you like or becomes your favorite.
Second, make sure it's mixed in really well. Not many people really enjoy coffee grounds in their coffee or the loose leaf of tea getting stuck in their teeth. I know I don't. Make sure you mix the chai really well with hot water before adding sweetener or milk. If you don't you'll end up with quite a bit of the grains at the bottom of the cup which can make for a poor last sip. It also means your chai didn't disintegrate to give you full flavor, which means you're probably using more chai than necessary to get good flavor. Don't be too hasty. Take your time. If you don't stir it in really well you may end up regretting it later on.
Finally, you won't get 100 cups out of this. The packaging claims you'll get 100 cups out of this can of chai. It comes with a small wooden spoon (which honestly adds a nice touch to the experience) which is made to hold the 1/4 teaspoon of the chai blend you're supposed to use in the directions on the can. Depending on how you mound the chai and how strong or weak you like it, you won't be getting the 100 cups out of this can like it claims. But don't worry too much about that. even if you only get 50 cups you're still getting a great deal for chai thats way easier to make than other methods.
Overall, this chai mix makes a delicious chai. It's not the best chai I've had but through experimentation I can make a delicious cup that certainly fills my chai cravings on cold winter days. I'd recommend it to family and friends. My preferred method is to use more milk than water, more chai than 1/4 teaspoon, and a bit of honey to sweeten things up. It's great in Soy milk with agave. For a quick cup (though not nearly as delicious) water, half and half, and stevia packets.
dried black tea powder, Ginger Root powder, ground cardamom, powdered cinnamon, ground black pepper, ground nutmeg, ground cloves
