Definitely a hardcore Assam CTC tea, which is next to impossible to enjoy if not brewed correctly. Great for either plain with a twist of lemon and some sugar(sorry, honey doesn’t go well here). Or great to prepare a cup of Indian Chai.
Below is how to make your own good chai at home(skip it you do not care for it) :)
Water – one cup
Milk(whole) – 3/4 cup (depends on taste, so be careful)
Sugar – 2 teaspoon (agan depends on taste)
Ginger – 1/2 inch (mash it up)
Green Cardamom – 2-3 (just crush it, whole – do not leave the covers)
Good Assam/Darjeeling Tea – Tata Tea Gold(blend of CTC & Long leaf tea) – 1.5 teaspoon
1. Heat up the water, DO NOT let it come to a rolling boil.
2. Once you see the bubbles forming up, put in the tea & ginger.
3. Most Important – Let it remain in low heat itself for about 8-10 minutes. If you heat it up a lot then the tea will become bitter, but less heat and long time imparts all the flavour.
4. Add Milk & Sugar, push up the heat to Medium and let it come to boil for once.
5. Add Cardamon – Let it Boil for a second time, a take it off the stove top.
6. Wait for couple of minutes before you filter it out. Do not sqeeze the filter at all.
Use more Cardamom in Summer time, and more of Ginger in winter. The dominant spice normally vary according to the season. Also cardamom oil is not a substitute for real cardamom in this tea.
Now its time to enjoy a real cup of Chai. :)
