Working at a coffee shop that sells almost as much chai as coffee, I have learned a lot about the iced vanilla or iced spiced chai. I have previously worked at a different coffee shop that allowed me to learn what chai tea is. Your everyday chai is very different from iced chai. Real chai tea is spicy and almost burns your throat. The chai powder or syrup which some choose to consumer is very different from tea. Since working at both places I have eagerly missed my ‘real’ iced chai. Now the way to truly make an iced chai or a hot chai at that is to steep the tea for a very long time. If I were to make a true chai, I would steep a chai tea bag for up to 7 minutes (hot water) or up to overnight (cold water). In Santa Cruz, we had a wonderful lady that I called Miss Chai and she would deliver three six gallon containers of chai that she grows and brews in her backyard. Her chai was so strong that she added agave to it and then we would add a touch more as well because it was so strong. It burned the back of my throat. But I loved it. ABSOLUTELY loved it!
When I drank it warm, I drank it with steamed almond milk and it smelled like nutmeg and cinnamon with chai. It was spicy and had full flavor with a beautiful warmth! It was so good. Since being back I have been on the hunt for real chai.
Real Chai above
Fullerton. Thank God for Fullerton! The Night Owl sells the most delicious Hemp Milk Iced Chai and I almost cried when I drank it. I was so excited! I hadn’t had real chai in months (besides the tea I brew at home). It made me so happy! I just wanted to let other true chai fanatics know that we do have chai and its delicious! Head over to the Night Owl and drink beautiful cups of chai!
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