Chaiholics at Home

I really enjoy making chai at home so when I discovered that Chaiholics would be launching caddies for home use I really was looking forward to it. Ray [the owner] was kind enough to gift me my choice of three from their range of seven. As I have already tried all seven in the teahouse I picked my three favourites. Ray has adapted an espresso machine to prepare chai at the chai house which is to be patented. This means that while I do enjoy the chai in store, I was looking forward to making it more authentically at home.

To prepare all three chais I used the method previously posted on the blog in Chai at Home.

Mumbai Bazaar Chai

The ginger and lemongrass flavours in this chai are very strong and, although I do enjoy this chai in the teahouse, I prefer it made at home. When made authentically, with one third milk and plenty of sugar, I find the flavours more balanced.

Aromatic Cardamom Chai

I really enjoy the strong cardamom flavour of this chai and this is something I am unable to achieve when blending my own chai at home. It is my favourite of all seven chais available at Chaiholics and I am really enjoying being able to prepare it at home.

Classic Masala Chai

When I first tried this chai in store I was slightly taken aback by the peppery kick but, after trying it a few more times, I have really come to enjoy it. As with the Mumbai Bazaar Chai I do enjoy it more at home as I can adjust the milk and sugar to balance the peppery kick. I like my sugar to warmed with the milk so I don’t feel that I can quite achieve the same balance in store.

Packaging

Although taste, and traceability, is most important to me when buying tea I just want to say a little about the packaging. I like that Chaiholics have decided upon tins rather than pouches because they are more airtight. Also, they can be stacked meaning they fit better in a cupboard and it makes it easier to find a particular tea quickly. The branding of the tins is really effective. I particularly like the information on the back of the tins which gives a bit of background about the idea behind each blend. Also, the appearance is very appealing. The labels are textured, the colours really stand out and the date of packing is included which is a great touch.

I will still continue to blend my own chai because I like experimenting with flavours but I will definitely always have some of these tins in the cupboard for when I feel like a more heavily spiced chai. I also think that the tins are a great idea as they are convenient for those who don’t want to blend their own.

The caddies are now available to purchase for £9.50 nationwide from Chaiholics website. The other chai blends that will be available are Railway Chai, Truck Stop Chai, Energising Ginger Chai and Refreshing Lemongrass Chai. The organic teas (£8.50) and other teas (£7.50) served at the Chaiholics teahouse will be available to buy too. (All tins are 100g.)