Tea, Part 2 - Herbal, Chai, Flavored
To help you choose I've listed some of the health benefits that are reputed to go with individual herbs and spices:
- Chamomile - for stomach aches
- Anise Seed - for insomnia
- Cloves, saffron, garlic - to act as an aphrodisiac
- Ginger - for energy
- Mustard - to lift your spirits
- Cumin, coriander, cayenne, and fennel - for indigestion and gas
- Thyme, sage, ginger, garlic - to fight cold and flu symptoms
- Rosemary - to increase circulation thereby warming you up
Chais:
The Japanese word for tea is Chah or Cha. "Chai" is an Asian variation of the spelling. However Chai, as sold in Starbucks or in bottles or dry packets at the grocery store, is usually a variation on a classic Indian drink. Indian chai is a rich, black tea combined with heavy milk, a sweetener, and various spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper.
For reference here is a recipe from the doyenne of Indian cooking, Madhur Jaffrey, (makes 2 cups):
1 ½ cup water
1 inch stick of cinnamon
8 cardamom pods
8 whole cloves
2/3 cup whole milk
6 teaspoons of sugar (or more to taste)
3 teaspoons of unperfumed loose black tea
Put the water in a saucepan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves and bring the water to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for ten minutes. Add the milk and sugar and bring the liquid back to a simmer. Add the tea leaves, cover, and turn off the heat. Let sit for two minutes, strain, and serve immediately.
There are numerous chai variations. At The Republic of Tea's website, you can buy a condensed chai to which you just add milk. It's described as "lightly sweetened concentrated blend of fine black tea brewed from black tea and blended with cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, wildflower honey, ginger and cloves."
At the Tazo web site you enter the "Tazo virtual universe". You can find, among others, a description of their organic chai. (Tazo is sold in Starbucks and on Amazon)
Flavored Teas:
As noted above I'm using this term for actual tea flavored with herbs, spices, and other flavorings. A simple trip to the grocery store will show the explosion in this tea category. Even Twining's has a vanilla flavored tea. There's really not much to say except experiment to your heart's content. If you'd like a suggestion where to start, The
Latest Articles