Westholme Tea Masala Chai

Style: Black

Origin: Blended at Westholme

Ingredients: Assam CTC, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Ginger Root, Black Pepper, Cloves

Certified: Organic

Description: People from India (and other parts of the world) are often puzzled by the North American use of the word Chai, which doesn’t actually refer to the mixture of warm spices that we’ve come to associate it with. Chai in Hindi simply translates to ‘Tea’ - in Urdu it’s Chaay, in Mandarin and Cantonese it’s Cha, in Arabic it’s chaior shai, and so on. The word Masala is actually what refers to the spice mixture itself, the contents of which depend on a few factors: the destined use of the spices (a curry dish, a spiced tea, a dessert, etc), the state or region, and even the family. There is no set recipe for a proper masala mixture, and while every chaachee (auntie) may claim to have the best, we hope you enjoy ours!

We went through several spice combinations before we settled on this recipe. It cooks well, steeps well, and is amazing on its own or combined with milk (or milk alternative) and honey. We used Assam CTC, the cut leaves of which steep to a strong, malted dark amber. The CTC (stands for Cut, Tear and Curl) tea base is bold and ideal for boiling – the traditional way of making chai – and perfectly capable of standing up to the rich flavours of the masala spices. We hand blend the black tea with organic spices – ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper and cloves. You can also cook this blend on the stove with a sweetener to create a Masala Chai Simple Syrup to make your own Chai Lattés at home.

Tasting Notes: The dark, rich malted flavour of a black Assam tea acts as the base for our tantalizing spice blend. Wonderful, fresh spices greet the nose and bring a natural, complex sweetness to the palate. Ends with a pleasant, flavourful cardamom linger and some gentle astringency on the tongue.

Brewing Instructions: 2 - 3g per cup. 100ºC water. Steep 3-5 minutes.