Chai Tea at EGA?

[mycomorphosis]

I've recently been awakened to the pleasures of Chai, but I'm having trouble finding a decent quality brew-at-home variety. I've found most of the supermarket brands taste just like regular tea but with a tonne of cloves added, which does not appeal to me at all (I don't mind cloves in moderation though). I've tried a couple of brands from health food stores and (in desperation) even the Gloria Jean Chai, but none so far have really had a good quality, authentic taste.

My question is, does anybody know the guys who ran the Chai Tea stall at EGA, or how I can get in contact with them? They were selling bags of their own Chai blend for $10, and I can certainly vouch for the quality of their product, having sampled copious amounts of it myself over that weekend. I only wish I had gotten around to grabbing a couple of bags before I left.

So if anyone has any idea how to get a hold of these guys and their precious Chai, any info would be much appreciated.

Edited August 12, 2006 by mycomorphosis

[occidentalis]

Here's my recipe:

3 sticks of cinnamon

a few good slices of ginger

generous pinch of nutmeg

14 cardamom pods, squashed

6-8 cloves

pinch of black pepper

optional:

1 star anise

vanilla essence

all in 1L of water

bring to the boil

add 500mL milk or substitute

bring to the boil again

then simmer for 5 minutes

turn off the heat

add tea

let steep for 2 minutes

then serve and sweeten to taste.

This makes 4 good serves, so you can simply multiply the quantities to make bulk amounts....

Guaranteed to far surpass any packaged product.

enjoy .

Edited August 12, 2006 by creach

[wandjina]

yum...could go a cup right now. Same way i make it.

some sweet orange peel can add a nice touch too, and a vanilla bean sliced lengthways.

Have to say i favour vitasoy, even though its owned by satans soda co.

[occidentalis]

Have to say i favour vitasoy, even though its owned by satans soda co.

hehe

I find myself in the same moral dillema

I've tried all the others and they just don't compare. I justified on the grounds that I was providing employment to our friend and colleague Reville. You are still working for them, right Rev? I wouldn't want to lose my justification.... ;)

[Torsten]

chai flavour relies on the essential oils in the spices, so boiling or even simmering is a big NO NO in my book. Most of the lighter notes can be driven off by even the slightest boil. And to simmer any herbal tea is sacrilege anyway!!

To increase the flavour release I prefer to steep a little longer and to crush the spices finer. Powdering is to be avoided, but simply crushing in mortar will reduce particle size by 5-10 times and increase the flavour accordingly. This applies especially to tough spices like cassia, cloves and cardamon. Never use powdered cardamon - it turns the whole thing doughy.

I hate soy milk. Can't stand the flavour of it. But being allergic to milk (ie even lactose free milk is not safe for me), soy milk is my only option. It's pretty astounding that out of all the soy milks only two are wheat and gluten free (so much for conscientious healthfood industry). One which says so in the title, the other is "So Milky". And it just so happens that 'So Milky' is actually quite yummy (the fresh version moreso than the UHT one). So anyone who has problems with soy milk, I recommend to try the fresh 'So Milky' at least once as it is completely different. Woolies/Safeway stocks it in some stores. No idea who makes it, but when you are desperate then sometimes it just doesn't matter.

[occidentalis]

chai flavour relies on the essential oils in the spices, so boiling or even simmering is a big NO NO in my book. Most of the lighter notes can be driven off by even the slightest boil. And to simmer any herbal tea is sacrilege anyway!!

I have considered this but I get great results from boiling and it gets better the longer you boil it.

I will give it a shot without and see what happens.

 

No idea who makes it, but when you are desperate then sometimes it just doesn't matter.

It's a Vitasoy product. Interesting that it's wheat free. I don't usually buy it because it's the only Vitasoy flavour that isn't organic.

[wandjina]

yeah...some of the yummiest chai i've had has been left to simmer for hours with top ups (under the not so watchful eye of wide eyed trippers)...when all the cloves get reconstitued etc, and with some maple sugar... :drool:

[Torsten]

Spices do not contain much water, so boiling will have no effect on cell walls etc, ie there will be virtually no solubility difference between 90degC and 100degC. The only major effect would be on the ginger and that can be adjusted by crushing it rather than just slicing it.

Wanjina - my point is that if you steeped at just below boiling point for the same amount of time you would get a better product. Boiling will not increase the flavour extraction, but it will cause loss of certain flavours. It's simply maths - whatever nice smells are in your kitchen are no longer in the chai.

[wandjina]

It's simply maths - whatever nice smells are in your kitchen are no longer in the chai.

Well then its a good thing I do all my cooking in the toilet!

[PD.]

I hate soy milk. Can't stand the flavour of it.

I second that.

"So Milky". it just so happens that 'So Milky' is actually quite yummy (the fresh version moreso than the UHT one).

Yeah i agree with T again here. I hardly noticed the soyness of it.

My mother drinks soy milk and i cant stand it .

[occidentalis]

I had a go at Torstens chai method tonight.

I steeped the above listed ingredients in water that was just below simmering temp, and then added soymilk and warmed up again. I kept the lid on the pot for much of the time to avoid losing the lighter oils.

There was a definite difference in flavour - the lighter components were clearly more present than with the boiling technique and the brew was spicy and fragrant.

However, there was a reduction in the overall strength of the flavour (and ingredient amounts and cooking time where the same). The flavour was much more subtle and it took half of the first cup to really appreciate it. I think there must be some flavour elements that are increased with boiling because there was a definite lack in some of the base notes.

Wandjina, give it a go and see what you think. I'm not convinced that it's overall clearly 'better', but it was nice and I'll do it again.

On the soymilk topic again - for people that don't generally like soy, try vitasoy. I don't like most other brands but I really like vitasoy. And for people that are already into soy - try bonsoy, if you can afford it. The best .

Edited August 13, 2006 by creach

[coin]

Indian people always simmer the spices with water first (unless maybe they are using instant chai masala powder). You can't say it destroys the taste when it tastes so good

Fennel, black cardamom and ajwain are almost always included in the masala, but they are hard to find for some people

Edited August 13, 2006 by coin

[_e_]

ive been getting right into herbal teas and the wonderful art of CHAI of late.

Being lactose and gluten intolerant, and having removed almost all processed soy products, ive found almond/hazelenut/rice milk combinations to be wholly fulfilling.

We are lucky in Sweden having access to tonnes of awesome organic and justice brand vegan and gluten/lactose free products. The meat alternatives really kick ass too (thank god for mushroom protein).

Although i have to agree with torsten that i never simmer, always steep. And that i opt for a finely mulled spice/herb content and re-steeping to mazimises the amount of 'essence'.

One thing ive been doing with chai thats different from my usual approach is using solidified raw cane juice for sweetening as opposed to honey.

It is said that the raw cane syrup (jaggery or unrefined raw dark sugar) is a lot better for you then honey when sweetening hot beverages as honey may cause digestive problems when heated.

I have a love for all natural sweet things, and have found jaggery to be one of the best. I love honey too, but try only to use it in its raw form and without heating so as to maintain as much goodness as possible.

[wandjina]

However, there was a reduction in the overall strength of the flavour (and ingredient amounts and cooking time where the same). The flavour was much more subtle and it took half of the first cup to really appreciate it. I think there must be some flavour elements that are increased with boiling because there was a definite lack in some of the base notes.

Maybe two pots is the way to go?....one steeped, one simmered...then combined...which should cover spectrum of flavours, top to bottom.

Gotta stock up on spices

On the soymilk topic again - for people that don't generally like soy, try vitasoy. I don't like most other brands but I really like vitasoy. And for people that are already into soy - try bonsoy, if you can afford it. The best

Absolutely...besides vitasoy and a couple other brands, I'm no fan of soy milk (just like in the simpsons..."now with added gag supressant!")...'standard' varieties have this odd flavour that does not, IMO, compliment any hot beverage. So Good is one of the worst IMO...and I as very dissapointed by Aussie Soy recently.

I'm not lactose intolerant, afaik, just really like the creamy velvety-ness of vitasoy...mmm. Doesn't taste soy-ish to me at all....even my daughter likes it, and she is as fussy as anything.

Edited August 14, 2006 by wandjina

[coin]

Maybe two pots is the way to go?....one steeped, one simmered...then combined...which should cover spectrum of flavours, top to bottom.

Gotta stock up on spices

many indian cooks use a similar concept. obviously when you cook with spices a lot of the essential oils are lost..but garam masala (spice blend) is added after the pot is taken off the heat, which gives warmth and vibrance (that torsten is talking about). the thing is that spices usually taste a lot better without their 'raw' (and often bitter/green) taste, which is why they are always lightly toasted in whole form before being ground. lightly toasting them also facilitates grinding them down very finely .. in the hotter regions of india they just leave them in the sun for a few days to parch. many cooks when making garam masala though, will toast half of the whole spices, then grind them all up with the untoasted ones...best of both flavour sets.

jaggery is very tasty like minerval said..hard to find outside of an indian store. rapadura sugar is very close and most organic stores seem to have it here in vic, but it can seem a bit costly, and some people don't instantly like the flavour (it seems to have caramel and anise notes)

i don't understand how so many soy milks can taste bad..is it the UHT process? a chinese lady once made me fresh soy milk from supermarket soy beans, and sweetened it slightly .. it was pretty tasty. i've noticed asian grocers sell fresher looking non-UHT soy milk, one plain, one with pandan. maybe that stuff's better without all those additives and protein isolates

Edited August 14, 2006 by coin

[occidentalis]

i don't understand how so many soy milks can taste bad..is it the UHT process? a chinese lady once made me fresh soy milk from supermarket soy beans, and sweetened it slightly .. it was pretty tasty. i've noticed asian grocers sell fresher looking non-UHT soy milk, one plain, one with pandan. maybe that stuff's better without all those additives and protein isolates

I guess it depends on whether you are talking whole bean soymilk or not - soy extract based products seem to be where health issues start to pop up, so I don't even consider them as options, and they don't taste nearly as good anyway. I suspect a lot of people who say they don't like soymilk have only tried crappy extracted brands like So Good. The choice of whole bean soymilks is fairly limited in most supermarkets - other than vitasoy there is usually only Australia's Own and the organic So Good variety. Both of which are drinkable but not great. Vitasoy is the only brand that I have experience with both the fresh and UHT forms, but there isn't a big difference between them. Fresh is slightly better.

Another good sugar product is high test (or HT) molasses. It's basically just raw sugar cane extract. Like normal blackstrap molasses in colour and texture (although a bit chunkier) but still contains a lot of sugar so much easier to eat.

Edited August 14, 2006 by creach

[mycomorphosis]

This thread is a wonderful resource for the amateur chai brewer such as myself. I'm going to gather ingredients and try my hand at a fresh brew asap (thanks for the recipe creach). The lazy in me still wants an easy option so that I can feed my 3 or 4 cups a day tea habit without going to too much trouble. Surprisingly, the "Lipton" brand of Chai tea bags are actually quite good. Of course, they've got nothing on the real thing, but I find a cup with half hot milk, a little fresh ginger and some honey is really quite satisfying. But thanks for all the great tips guys - can't wait to put it into practice.

Just out of curiosity - is there any reason so many people use soy milk in chai rather than regular milk (ie, depth of flavour, etc), or is it just a matter of personal preference? I've tried soy milk once and it was pretty nasty (not sure what brand). I wouldn't be opposed to trying it again, but it'd have to be a non-extracted version I think. But should I even bother, given the fact that I like milk?

[transDiMenTional]

Try Nerada organic chai tea bags. They are the best alternative to the real thing that ive found...

Has anyone tried the 'Alchemy cordial company's chai syrup?

Interesting what you say about the eating honey issue E, I will have to look into that.

[mycomorphosis]

Yeah, I was recently faced with a decision between Nerada's Chai and Lipton's. I figured Nerada would be a good option because I like their regular Tea. But I had already tried Lipton's Instant Chai sachets and they were great (although not really sustainable with all their fat and refined sugar and additives ). I'll be sure to try Nerada next.

[occidentalis]

Just out of curiosity - is there any reason so many people use soy milk in chai rather than regular milk (ie, depth of flavour, etc), or is it just a matter of personal preference? I've tried soy milk once and it was pretty nasty (not sure what brand). I wouldn't be opposed to trying it again, but it'd have to be a non-extracted version I think. But should I even bother, given the fact that I like milk?

There is nothing about soymilk that is necessary for chai - I guess a lot of people might use it in brews because most people are happy to drink it. But other than that it's just personal preference.

[puffingfish]

Anyone tried/like oat milk?

I tried this for the first time the other day and really enjoyed it.

Had a quick look around and it seems to be quite good for you. Apparently heat stable.

Comments?

[sobriquet]

Wow, so surprising to see so many soy-milk drinkers.

I've been drinking soy milk since before it became well known. At least the last 15 years. I was found to be lactose intolerant and I tried lactase addition to milk for a while. Then went to soy milks which were atrociously bad in some cases back then.

Then back to commercial lactose free milks because of the phyto-oestrogen and breast development + testicular cancer scare from soy products.

I've been back to soy for two years. Could never stand So-Good and not just because it's owned by a cultish group.

I drink and like Vitasoy, but buy the Calci-plus and the Vitality - green and purple packages because they're the only ones that don't have vegetable oil in them ie. canola or sunflower oil. The others do. These sorts of vegetable oils are supposed to increase your chances of macula degeneration.

Also the non-oily ones are a bit better in teas because you don't get the oily floatation effect with them.

I'll have to try the fresh versions.