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Iced Chai

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Alanna H

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Iced Chai

by Alanna H » Sun May 28, 2017 2:52 pm

This is probably the lamest post I've ever posted, FYI.

I absolutely love iced chai, but I've noticed that it's hard to find a good spicy/peppery chai around these parts. Most places it's sweet with some spice (Starbucks and Heine Bros), but I had an amazing iced chai at a mom-n-pop coffee shop in Colorado Springs that was really peppery and extra spicy and now nothing I try anywhere lives up to that. If you know of anywhere in Louisville I can get something along these lines, please let me know! I've also tried Sunergos chai, but it was extremely mild and bland, and cartons of premade chai at the grocery, which is mainly just sugar water. Also, I'm lazy- I mean, busy- so I'm not looking for loose leaves to make my own chai at home.
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Robin Garr

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Re: Iced Chai

by Robin Garr » Sun May 28, 2017 3:36 pm

I have to confess that I'm not a chai fan, so I'm standing on shaky ground here, but I wonder about Indian restaurants. Might be worth a try!
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Alexis Rich

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Re: Iced Chai

by Alexis Rich » Sun May 28, 2017 6:06 pm

I can't speak from experience but I do know that the coffee drinks at Please and Thank you are not overly sweet. That might be a good place to try.
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MarieP

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Re: Iced Chai

by MarieP » Tue May 30, 2017 2:42 pm

For some reason, it seems that chai tea is getting sweeter in general, and sometimes it depends on the person making it. I also think iced chai tastes sweeter than the hot. Bombay Grill has a good version (of the hot), but the portion is pretty small, and refills aren't free. The best iced chai I've had were unfortunately not in the Louisville area....at Wawa and Sheetz convenience stores in the MD/PA/NJ area.

I realize chai is somewhat different, but have you tried the Thai iced tea at Yangkee Noodle or Simply Thai?
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Ed Vermillion

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Re: Iced Chai

by Ed Vermillion » Tue May 30, 2017 6:47 pm

It sounds like you could enjoy making your own version. It's very easy. We make quite a bit of this recipe of "Yogi Tea". You can make it a chai by adding dairy and whatever sweetener you like. Best thing about this recipe is it is very easy to make it more peppery as needed/wanted.

Ingredients

2 quarts water
15 whole cloves
20 black peppercorns
6 sticks cinnamon
20 whole cardamom pods (split the pods first)
8 ginger slices (1/4 inch thick, no need to peel)
½ teaspoon organic black tea leaves
Milk (dairy or non-dairy) to taste We don't put any dairy in it.
Honey to taste We use stevia if any sweetness is desired.

A squirt of fresh lime juice in your cup makes it sing

Method

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil.
Add cloves and boil for one minute.
Add peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. Cover and boil for 30 minutes (or longer).
When ready, remove from heat, add black tea and let cool. Strain the whole amount into pitchers

It keeps very well in the fridge
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Alanna H

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Re: Iced Chai

by Alanna H » Thu Jun 01, 2017 4:16 pm

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I'm going to give the homemade recipe a go this weekend. Cross your fingers!
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Ed Vermillion

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Re: Iced Chai

by Ed Vermillion » Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:47 am

Alanna H wrote:Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I'm going to give the homemade recipe a go this weekend. Cross your fingers!


Almost forgot the most important point: Bring the ingredients to a roiling boil for 10 or so minutes then bring it down to simmer for another hour. Turn it off and let the tea (with the ingredients still in the tea) sit for 12 hours for a full flavored batch. You will need to experiment with number of ingredients and the brew/soak time to get the flavor profile you like.
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MarieP

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Re: Iced Chai

by MarieP » Fri Jun 02, 2017 10:45 pm

Haven't yet tried this, but will report soon!

http://www.goldpeakbeverages.com/gold-p ... -tea-latte
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Re: Iced Chai

by MarieP » Tue Jun 06, 2017 6:44 am

I tried the original Gold Peak Chai (may try the vanilla later). It didn't have the spices of chai-- it tasted more like tea with milk. I do like Gold Peak tea, so it was a decent drink, but it's not chai.

I will try Quills-- but I'm convinced too that the best is home-brewed.

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