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Tonight was Trick or Treat night in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania has this strange habit of having their candy nights on random days in the various small townships, half the time it is never on Halloween. As much as this weirds me out, tonight was a blast thanks to a ghost and an exorcist. My mom dressed like a ghost (much like the ghost figures in the game Ghost Story) and I whipped together a very awkward dress in imitation of a Hanfu, grabbed my old wooden Bokken, and donned my Raiden hat and did my best Exorcism stance. Sadly I did not create any seals, my sword was not peach wood, and I did not have enough Chi, so in the long run, the ghost won. Our crazy antics were a huge hit, and all our candy mysteriously disappeared!

But enough about my mother and my antics, it is time for tea! Today we have Organic Masala Chai by Fashionista Tea, a blend of Assam, Cardamon, Ginger, Cinnamon, and Cloves, all organic. I have to be careful with my Chai consumption, it usually is stuffed towards the back of my tea shelves, because left alone with Chai, I will drink all of it. The various Indian restaurants I visit in Kansas City know me not by my brilliantly teal hair, but as the girl who drinks at least four cups of Chai and never says no to a refill and always loves a to go cup. The one time I decided to get a lassi instead of a Chai at my favorite restaurant, I think I about gave the server a heart-attack out of shock, and she brought me a Chai on the house anyway! So as you can see, I really love this spicy, rich, drink. The aroma from my little pile of CTC leaves and spices is sweet, spicy, and malty! There is a strong ginger note, a moderately strong note of cardamon, and lastly a mellow note of malt and a finish of cinnamon.

Into the hot water and steeping basket the leaves go! After a steeping it is time to sniff the soggy leaves, and wow are they bright! A blend of almost effervescent ginger with the slightly brisk and malty notes really wakes up the nose, add the undertones of cinnamon and cardamon and you have for an enjoyable sniff. The liquid is a nice blend of malt, ginger, and cinnamon, I am saddened by the lack of cardamon, but I am a cardamon fiend (yes I eat the pods after I get done steeping them…don’t judge me.)

This is a very mellow Chai, taken traditionally with milk (ok I use Half & Half since I love creaminess) and sugar, I can say that this is a Chai that is very chill. It just brings its spices over and sits down next to you, no massive punches of cinnamon or ginger, it just eases you into the spices. The Assam is bold and malty, it really shows off its true colors, usually in Chai the tea accents the spices, this time the spices accent the tea. There is an aftertaste of ginger that lingers for a while and leaves you feeling warm and slightly tingly. I am not sure this is my favorite Chai ever, I really like a lot of kick and of course lots of Cardamon, but it is a good ‘background noise’ Chai, much like the music I am listening to, it is enjoyable but not my main focus. So if you want a Chai with a bold base tea and mellow spices, this is the tea for you!

For blog and photos (oooh spooky ghost!): http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/10/fashionista-tea-organic-masala-chai-tea.html