Mayan Chocolate Chai Black Tea

Description

The 6th Tea of Christmas 2024!

I last reblended this tea back in 2019 – so it’s been a while! This is a Frank era blend, he originally crafted it as part of his “Man Teas” series of teas which was a subsidiary of his Zoomdweebies brand, from which 52Teas was originally born. So, I guess you could say that 52Teas and Man Teas were sister & brother, or perhaps cousins? 

Anyway, when I took over 52Teas, I also adopted Mayan Chocolate Chai because it was part of our Kickstarter rewards – someone had contributed to our Kickstarter campaign & requested this to be reblended – so I did! Some changes were made to my version of the blend: for example, in the original blend, Frank used ground cayenne pepper to the blend, while I used whole dried peppers which I then diced into thin strips – doing my best to eliminate as many of the seeds as possible (as this is where a good deal of the heat comes from). As a result, this is not quite as spicy as Frank’s original blend. 

Another change is that I omitted the sliced almonds & replaced it with a nut-free almond essence because I choose to make all of my blends nut-free for those who may have nut allergies. I want all my teas to be allergen-friendly! I also added cacao shells in addition to the cacao nibs because I think that the roasted cacao shells offer a stronger chocolate flavor than do the nibs. 

So, while this version of the Mayan Chocolate Chai is not quite as spicy as its predecessor, it does pack some heat. It’s spicy, it’s full of flavor & it has a nice chocolate-y tone. Delicious! It’s also organic, vegan, gluten-free, allergen-friendly & all natural!

organic ingredients: black teas, cacao shells & nibs, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, cayenne peppers & natural flavors

to brew: shake the pouch before you measure to ensure that ingredients are well-incorporated. Use 3 ½ g of tea to 12oz of nearly boiling water (205°F), steep for 3 minutes, strain & allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Enjoy!

serving suggestion: I tend to prefer my chai served hot & this blend is no exception to that. I also prefer my chai served with a small amount of sweetener & with this blend, I recommend either raw sugar or in a pinch, go with white sugar or honey. The sweetener will enhance the overall flavors of the spices. Really, that’s all you need for a pleasant cuppa – 

But if you want to go latte (& I really recommend you do!) steep this tea strong by using another ½ g of tea to the 12oz of nearly boiling water & steep for the same amount of time – or perhaps add another 30 seconds to your brew time. Don’t make the mistake of steeping a longer time to make it stronger, this will only make the tea taste bitter, not necessarily stronger. After a 3 ½ minute steep, strain & add the sweetener & a splash of warmed half & half. 

Perfection!