Name: Rishi Masala Chai Concentrate
Brand: Rishi Tea
Type: Masala Chai with a black tea/rooibos base
Form: Bottled concentrate
Review: Now here is a curious tea-item: Rishi has gone to the trouble of preparing pre-sweetened masala chai as a concentrate so that chai-lovers can make up a steaming-hot, fresh chai latte in minutes.
The chai concentrate is rather unappetizing in appearance: It is a muddy brown color that needs shaking to distribute the spices that collect at the bottom of the bottle. But never mind that: The concentrate is very easy to use, just mix one part concentrate to one part milk and heat or, for cold chai, pour over ice.
I tried the chai prepared several different ways:
- Cold: I mixed equal amounts of chai concentrate and whole milk and then poured over ice. I wasn’t crazy about this preparation as the flavors did not seem to be well-blended. The ginger and cardamom notes dominated, and the drink didn’t taste quite right.
- Cold, Made with Water Instead of Milk: Don’t do this. I actually like chai made with just water, but this concentrate is specifically made to be mixed with milk. ‘Nuff said.
- Hot: I then tried heating the milk/concentrate mixture on the stove. This gave the best results: The chai was smooth, slightly spicy, and not too sweet.
- Heated Then Iced: I then tried heating the chai mixture, but then pouring it over ice. This tasted better than making it cold, though the flavor was somewhat muted.
The hot preparation was by far the tastiest, and I really appreciated how easy the chai concentrate is to use. The chai is pre-sweetened, but is not overly sweet, and the spices are pretty well balanced in the hot preparation, with no one spice dominating. I generally prefer a more “peppery” chai, but this is nonetheless very tasty indeed.
Recommendation: The concentrate is super convenient: If you are a masala chai lover I strongly suggest keeping a bottle on hand for quick chai-prep!
Availability: Rishi Masala Chai Concentrate is not available online, but is available in many stores, including Whole Foods Markets.
Affiliate Links in this Post?: No
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Very happy to see a new Chai concentrate on the market, especially from Rishi. Thanks for the scoop!
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