Happy National Chai Day!

Today, September 21, the aroma filling the room comes from ancient spices, perfectly steeped into a cup of delicious tea; it's National Chai Day! This tea holiday celebrates the strong, satisfying blend that has been popularized and enjoyed across the world!

People from India (and other parts of the world) are often puzzled by the North American use of the word Chai, which doesn’t actually refer to the mixture of warm spices that we’ve come to associate it with. Chai in Hindi simply translates to ‘Tea’ - in Urdu it’s Chaay, in Mandarin and Cantonese it’s Cha, in Arabic it’s chai or shai, and so on. The word Masala is actually what refers to the spice mixture itself, the contents of which depend on a few factors: the destined use of the spices (a curry dish, a spiced tea, a dessert, etc), the state or region, and even the family. There is no set recipe for a proper masala mixture, and while every chaachee (auntie) may claim to have the best, we hope you enjoy ours!

We went through several spice combinations before we settled on our Masala Chai recipe. It cooks well, steeps well, and is amazing on its own or combined with milk (or milk alternative) and honey. We used Assam CTC, the cut leaves of which steep to a strong, malted dark amber. The CTC (stands for Cut, Tear and Curl) tea base is bold and ideal for boiling – the traditional way of making chai – and perfectly capable of standing up to the rich flavours of the masala spices. We hand blend the black tea with organic spices – ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper and cloves. You can also cook this blend on the stove with a sweetener to create a Masala Chai Simple Syrup to make your own Chai Lattés at home.

What to do on this fine day celebrating Chai in all its spiced comfort? 

:: Visit your local cafe for a freshly brewed chai latte or pure steeped chai. Here's a list of stockists that sell our chai.

:: Cook your own chai and experiment with the complex flavors at home

:: Share chai with a friend or family member and enjoy the comforting spices together

:: Try a recipe with chai like these chai popsicles or chai simple syrup 

:: Explore all of the different varieties of chai you can enjoy -- Masala Chai, Golden Chai, Green Chai, Mate Chai, Nettle Chai, Holiday Spice/Pure Spice, or gift a chai gifts to someone who adores all of the above! 

Happy National Chai Day everyone!