I rarely do a review for the same tea again (my original post on this is here: https://steepster.com/mastressalita/posts/396293 ) but after attempting this tea (stovetop style) a few times over the weekend I think I’ve finally perfected how I like it. The first time I made it, I had trouble getting it quite right, too. Since past and present Sara have the memory of a goldfish, it stands to reason future Sara will too, so this is for you, future Sara!
1) Use plain oat milk, not vanilla. Otherwise it’s way too sweet.
2) For a 16 oz. cup: use 2 cups oat milk and 3 heaping regular ol’ kitchen teaspoon globby scoops tea for a more “mild” profile; for slightly more kick, use 1 cup oat milk/1 cup water and 4 heaping teaspoon scoops of tea mix.
3) While simmering the tea, DO NOT BLINK. BLINK AND YOU DIE. (Or at least your chai will boil over that quickly… but I’m still sure Weeping Angels are involved somehow…)
4) Don’t even think about trying to use your gravity well infuser as a strainer. Just don’t do it. Goopy residue will coat the fine mesh and you’ll never get the tea out and have to use a standard strainer anyway.
It’s a nice chai, albeit a bit finicky because of the goopy honeyed leaf. Having tried a sticky chai now, I don’t think I’d ever get one again, since it is much easier to measure the leaf consistently and get more balanced scoops with dry leaf, and I can always add my own honey to the stove mixture to taste anyway. It has been a bit interesting that every cup I make seems to be an entirely different dominant spice flavor, likely due to just what happened to be stuck in my clumpy scoops that time; yesterday, I had an extremely fennel/anise cup that tasted like melted black licorice (I love black licorice, so I was fine with that!) while today, I’m not getting that at all, instead it tastes very cinnamon-sweet.
Flavors: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Licorice, Spices, Spicy, Sweet
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
Chaiwala makes a sticky chai that is awesome, albeit not too sticky which makes measuring it easier. It’s my favorite chai.
Also, I laughed really hard at this review so I am super glad you shared it. Thank you.
Ah. This one is frustratingly sticky, which adds to my frustration of trying to get a good and consistent brew. I guess I just figured all sticky chai would have the same issues! It doesn’t taste bad, just a lot more of a pain to scoop/measure/get a consistent flavor compared to dry leaf chais I’ve tried. I know I tried sticky chais by Prana Chai at a tea festival and liked the taste of those, too (especially their mint one).
This is the first sticky chai I’ve ever had (I have chaiwala from the Toronto Tea Festival I need to try and a few of B&B flavored sticky chai that I need to get around to). Thank you for sharing this review I enjoyed it (like VariaTEA) as well :)
Your review also made me laugh. :)
For simmering milk, enameled cast iron was a game changer. It heats milk in a way that allows you to blink and not die, at least with the continuous heating of a gas range. Nor will the milk scald on the bottom of the pot.
Tell me more about this “enameled cast iron”? What does this mean? :)
Tiffany: it’s cast iron cookware coated in enamel paint. Here’s a good thread about different types of cookware: https://www.chowhound.com/post/enameled-cast-iron-stainless-steel-ceramic-clay-782038 If my housemate hadn’t already had an enameled cast iron dutch oven for slow-cooking acidic soups and stews, I never would have invested the money in one. They can be very expensive. Costco out here in California has a 2-pack for $69 right now.
Chaiwala makes a sticky chai that is awesome, albeit not too sticky which makes measuring it easier. It’s my favorite chai.
Also, I laughed really hard at this review so I am super glad you shared it. Thank you.
Ah. This one is frustratingly sticky, which adds to my frustration of trying to get a good and consistent brew. I guess I just figured all sticky chai would have the same issues! It doesn’t taste bad, just a lot more of a pain to scoop/measure/get a consistent flavor compared to dry leaf chais I’ve tried. I know I tried sticky chais by Prana Chai at a tea festival and liked the taste of those, too (especially their mint one).
This is the first sticky chai I’ve ever had (I have chaiwala from the Toronto Tea Festival I need to try and a few of B&B flavored sticky chai that I need to get around to). Thank you for sharing this review I enjoyed it (like VariaTEA) as well :)
Your review also made me laugh. :)
For simmering milk, enameled cast iron was a game changer. It heats milk in a way that allows you to blink and not die, at least with the continuous heating of a gas range. Nor will the milk scald on the bottom of the pot.
Tell me more about this “enameled cast iron”? What does this mean? :)
Tiffany: it’s cast iron cookware coated in enamel paint. Here’s a good thread about different types of cookware: https://www.chowhound.com/post/enameled-cast-iron-stainless-steel-ceramic-clay-782038 If my housemate hadn’t already had an enameled cast iron dutch oven for slow-cooking acidic soups and stews, I never would have invested the money in one. They can be very expensive. Costco out here in California has a 2-pack for $69 right now.