Rooibos Tea Bulk
Posted on Tuesday, December 21st, 2010 at 6:09 am
Brief History Of Chai
The word chai literally means “tea.” In America, however, it has come to stand for “masala chai,” a delicious, milky black tea-based drink made with a pungent blend of spices and often found in Indian restaurants.
Chai originated in ancient India, in accordance with their system of Ayurvedic medicine regulating “hot” and “cold” substances in the body. In this early form, chai was curative and restorative, and consisted of an infusion of herbs and spices, not tea leaves. The preparation was costly, and only nobility and royals were able to consume it and benefit from its effects. It was much later, in the 19th century, that traders added tea to chai mixtures for international sale to improve the export appeal as well as the bulk of the product.
Modern chai begins with strongly brewed black tea, usually Assam, Ceylon, or, occasionally, Darjeeling. Almost all chai contains a strong cardamom flavor, and other common spices added include cloves, white and black pepper, ginger, and cinnamon, although these combinations vary by region. Nearly all chai is also sweetened with brown or cane sugar, sweet tree saps, honey, or molasses, which enhances the spices’ flavors and, of course, making the drink appealingly sweet. In the West, most chai also contains at least some milk, such as the so-called “chai latte” found in many coffee shops in which steamed milk is added to the spicy tea mixture. In addition to being found in many South Asian restaurants, today chai can be purchased and consumed as a spice mixture to be added to tea, a dehydrated, granular, instant-style powder, in tea bags, or as a syrup for quick and convenient preparation.
Traditionally, chai was drunk from a special vessel called a chullarh. This clay cup was used for both the preparation and consumption of chai, and, afterwards, broken into pieces and replaced into the ground whence it came. This appealing ritual, of course, is seldom practiced today, but the charming gesture lives on in spirit, even when chai is drank from common paper cups.
Tea, it is known, contains powerful antioxidants, and other ingredients in chai also recommend its use for health reasons, much as the ancient Indians recognized. The spice mixtures are good for the immune system; ginger can help stave off colds and promotes good digestion; cloves are a natural analgesic and regulate body temperature; cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar levels; and cardamom is likewise excellent for the digestive process.
Traditionally a hot beverage, chai can now be found in hot, cold, steamed, iced, and frozen forms in many restaurants and most coffee shops. Black tea-based chai is the most traditional and still the most common, but Kashmiri-style green tea chais are also popular, as are so-called “coffee chais” and herbal chais prepared with, for example, Rooibos. Due to its distinctive flavor profile, cooking with chai or chai-inspired spice combinations is also becoming a mainstay on the culinary circuit.
Add style to your tea time with a Yixing teapot, cast iron teapot, or kyusu.
Tea Basics : Storing Your Tea
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Davidson’s Tea Bulk, Organic South African Rooibos, 16-Ounce Bag $13.64 Rich and full-bodied “red tea”, caffeine free, full of vitamins and antioxidants…. |
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Davidson’s Organic Tea South African Rooibos, 100-Count Tea Bags $13.13 Rooibos is the “sister” of Honeybush, both mild, but full-bodied herbs harvested from shrubs grown in high elevations of the cape region in South Africa. Brewing red in the cup, Rooibos has rounded undertones and sweet top notes. Rooibos has few tannins, no caffeine and an abundance of vitamins, minerals and potent antioxidants, linking it to numerous health benefits. Create your own favoite blend… |
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Davidson’s Tea Bulk, Org Spiced Rooibos Chai, 16-Ounce Bag $6.80 Caffeine-free South African rooibos with cinnamon, cloves, and natural spice oils…. |
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Uncle Lees Teas Imperial Organic Cinnamon Roob Chai Tea … |
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Organic Fireside Chai 22 Bags $5.75 Fireside Chai is a caffeine-free smooth and exotic herbal tisane that embraces the senses with velvet-comfort. Its warming spices of ginger, cinnamon chips, whole clove buds, cardamom, and California orange peel mixed with Red Bush transport you to the comforting fireside of a gypsy camp at dusk. Aromatheraputic Benefits: Orange peel increases confidence while ginger aids in digestion and cardam… |
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African Red Tea Imports Organic Rooibos Natural Caffeine Free … |
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The pH Balance Diet: Restore Your Acid-Alkaline Levels to Eliminate Toxins and Lose Weight $8.65 ELIMINATE TOXINS, LOSE WEIGHT AND INCREASE ENERGYWhen naturally balanced, your body is alkaline. But a diet high in meat, dairy and sugar overwhelms your body with acidic waste, resulting in weight gain, low energy, poor skin and brittle bones.The pH Balance Diet explains how to correct imbalances, eliminate toxic overload and reverse acid buildup. It offers a gradual, healthy approach to restorin… |
