auraTeas' Herbal Tea Calming Chai (review)

Type: Herbal Tisane

Form: Loose Leaf

Cost: $5.80 Canadian for a 40 gram canister (quantity discounts available, a smaller sample size is available, and it is on sale now for only $5.30 CAD)

Review: This tisane is a blend of chamomile, lemon peel, bay leaves, marigold, and fennel seed. It infuses to a bright, light amber with an intriguing, spicy nose. In my first sampling of this tisane, the chamomile and bay leaf dominate, with the marigold adding a slight kick. Despite its obvious presence in the blend, I really didn’t detect the lemon peel, and the fennel is only barely obvious in the finish.

During my second tasting, I allowed the tisane to steep a bit longer, resulting in stronger fennel notes. I also tried it with a bit of agave nectar for sweetening: It wasn’t bad, but I preferred the chai unsweetened.

Recommendation: This is a lovely, warming, and relaxing beverage. The flavors in this blend (particularly the bay leaf) are strong, so read the ingredient list to make sure that there isn’t anything that you dislike in this blend. Wonderful option for those who need a flavorful, but caffeine-free, hot drink.

Tips for Preparation:

The fennel notes need extra time to develop, so plan on a longer infusion if you really like fennel. Otherwise five minutes seemed to be the optimum steep time.
When working with herbal blends, or any tea blend where some of the leaves are larger than others, be sure to give the dry leaf a good stir/shake prior to use. This will incorporate the smaller seeds and leaves and ensure your tea/tisane tastes as its blender intended.

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