I love Chai. We are so fortunate to have some of the best in the nation here in San Francisco at local spots like Samovar and Beloved Cafe . Our favorite way to get it, stop by a local Indian restaurant, such as Udupi Palace, Kasa or one you are passing by. their chai is authentic and better than the boxed variety in cafes. Whenever I am in D.C. I pick up a couple of packages of Teaism's mix, my favorite chai for 20 years. I love making it at home, it turns out perfect every time. Recently, I ran out of coffee and went crazy making a large batch of chai every day, quickly going through my supplies.
Memorial day weekend my daughter and I de-concocted the Teaism chai mixture, sniffing and identifying each ingredient. My daughter has always had an amazing nose for ingredients ever since she was little. After we walked with Amos through the Mission, stopping by local shops for a look-see, visiting friends at work and taking in all the happy faces enjoying the sun after a few weeks of Bay Area wind and fog. Our destination was Rainbow Co-op where I scoured the bulk jars, sniffed the offerings and packaged all that I thought would make a successful mix. I wish Eva was with me inside but Amos kept her busy out in the sun.
I am not by any means a recipe developer. I did not measure, I just added and sniffed. The results? I picked up the wrong flavor rooibos, what was I thinking coconut flavored? It should have been Vanilla. Another note is that I think adding whole green cardamom pods as well as crushing some was key for flavor. The end results? I liked my variety but it's not the masterful mix of Teaism. I'll continue to make my own, recreating a new batch each time.
Happy team-making. If you come up with a winning recipe, please send it along to me!
Ingredients:
- Indian Black Tea
- Rooibos Tea
- Dried Ginger Chips
- Cinnamon Chips
- Paradise miniature pepper corns
- Green cardamom pods plus a pinch of powdered
- Whole Cloves
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