This isn’t a typical chai spice blend, and they don’t market it as such. It’s Nepalese chai as opposed to other blends I’ve tried that are authentic to southern India. This one is on the savory side and has almost a floral underpinning, might be due to the bay leaf? There’s still the trademark cardamom, there’s some ginger. But the base tea is a chinese black, making it a little smoother than the other chais I’m familiar with.
I’m absolutely hooked on the ‘novelty’ (new-to-me) of the flavor. It’s strong without being overpowering, I don’t feel like I “need” the milk to enjoy it to the fullest.
In full disclosure, this is the first Kusmi I’ve tasted, but I’m impressed. I discovered a real-deal authentic southern indian spice blend last week with another brand that I like, but this one eclipses it for drinkability. It was part of my holiday “treat” to myself – new teas, old comfort treats as the workdays wind down and the celebrating starts.
Tonight I enjoyed this with some homemade kolache. Pics of the muslin sample bag I brewed first (came with my order of the 4 oz loose chai) and a simple recipe for kolache are posted on my blog. http://bit.ly/smBTxv
