* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
Chai is so prevalent in India and Sri Lanka that it could be called the National drink. It is very common to see the "tea wadis" serving their chai to the walk-by street traffic. In North America, we have the coffee carts, in the sub continent and Sri Lanka you have the "wadis."
Paint the following picture in your mind: the tea wadis cart has that "well used" look (bashed, dented), quite often with a charcoal fire going keeping the water boiling so steam and smoke are rising, an old evaporated milk can full of sugar, another bashed and dented can with the masala chai spices, an eclectic collection of semi-clean mugs and glasses and a wizened chai expert deftly pouring back and forth from great heights, tea with spices and milk, combining the two ingredients. Once combined it is normal to add a fantastic amount of sugar for that real chai experience.
Chai is brewed with milk and a mixture of spices. Each recipe can be different depending upon the spices used. Indian spiced chai is often referred to as Masala Chai. The word "chai" literally means tea (different languages use various forms of this word. For example, Portuguese call it "cha," Hindus call it chai, and in Chinese the sound of the symbol for tea sounds very much like cha.) and "masala" is the word for the mixture of the various spices, hence Masala Chai.
Often a lower quality tea is used to make chai as it is thought the spices will cover-up any deficiencies in the tea. We do not believe this and prefer to make our dry tea chai mix from real Indian spices and high-grown Ceylon tea. The quality of the tea elevates this chai to a new level. We added natural cherry and chocolate flavors to give our spiced chai a totally different character, the flavoring adds more depth and duplicates one of two of the smells lingering around the tea wadi.
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Directions
Hot tea brewing method: As with all top quality teas, scoop 2-4 teaspoons of tea into the teapot (make the chai a bit stronger than you would normally make tea). Pour in boiling water that has been freshly drawn (previously boiled water has lost most if its oxygen and therefore tends to be flat tasting), steep for 2-4 minutes (to taste), stir (virtually all the leaves will sink), pour into your cup, add lots of milk, and sugar to taste. Alternatively brew the tea in hot milk, this take a bit more effort but it tastes great!
Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold milk. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold milk. Garnish and sweeten to taste.
Label Information
Shipping Port: Colombo
Altitude: 5600 - 6400 feet above sea level
Manufacture Type: Orthodox
Cup Characteristics: Good body with strong Indian spice notes
Infusion: Coppery bright and especially enticing with milk
Additional Information
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease.
