Fall Cuppa Guide. . .Part3

  Have you ever traveled to India?  Yes, I am talking about that India; next door to China, home to the Taj Mahal, Bengal tigers, peacocks, melt in your mouth naan bread and tandoori chicken?  Well, whether you have or have not actually traveled there (I haven't, but hope to some day), in this blog I am going to reveal to you a delicious way to have an authentic Indonesian experience in your cup, I am talking about none other than:

A Chaiwalla or tea vendor

Masala "  Chai"    

(pronounced "Ch-eye")

  Here in the states, Chai is commonly known as a very milky, sweet, spiced, invigorating "treat" drink served either hot, over ice/on the rocks or frozen blended, but historically many of the specific spice blends that comprise the various types of Masala Chai were derived from ancient "Ayurvedic" texts and regarded as medicinal. Interestingly, there is no one "fixed" blend or specific preperation of Masala Chai, in fact many families in India have their own secret family recipe.  Today, you can buy modern versions of Chai from many grocery stores and specialty coffee/tea shops, but have you ever stopped to consider what exactly IS Chai and why is it such an amazingly great hot fall drink, well here we go.
   First and foremost, Masala Chai is a tea drink, not some mysterious powdered blend of magical yumminess.  In fact, by itself, the word "Cha" or "Chai" is translated into english simply as tea, so, for you redundancy hounds out there, if someone you know loves to order their "Chai tea" they are in fact ordering a  cup of "tea tea" (You are now entitled to a silent giggle next time you catch someone making this common faux pas, or ask them to order you a "coffee coffee" while they are at it).

One beautiful version of Masala Chai

  Traditionally, the base tea used for any Masala Chai blend is a hearty, black tea such as those from the region of Ceylon, (not to be confused with the Cylon region for all you Battlestar G. fans)or a rich, malty Assam tea with plenty of robust  flavor as not to be overpowered by the other spices used in the particular blend.  Although, as mentioned earlier, there is no one specific recipe, and in India Masala Chai is known to vary from region to region, it is generally accepted that Masala Chai consists of hearty Black tea, Ginger (no Mary Ann in this tea skipper), Nutmeg, Cardamom, Star anise, Cloves and Black pepper. Now, each of these components is worthy of its own individual treatise, each imbued with its own distinct history of unique healthy properties and character, so imagine what a whole blend of tea and these spices, brewed together in one cup, must be like.  The result is one singular, wonderful, invigorating, spiced elixir just perfect for igniting a sparkle in your eye on a bleak Fall morning or taking the winters chill off your bones on a blustery day. 

Preperation

  Now, the most traditional approach for preparing Masala Chai involves 3 parts, 1-Tea base & spice blend, 2-Sweetner and 3-Milk (usually whole milk but lower fat milk can be used)  all simmered together in a type of sauce pan and then poured through a strainer into eagerly awaiting cups and mugs, however it also needs to be said that it is perfectly acceptable to enjoy your Masala Chai straight as is.  For the adventurous, there are numerous "make your own from scratch" Masala Chai recipes online*, but for the more convenience minded, you can buy Masala Chai prepared from many different sources such as grocery stores, specialty coffee & tea shops, just hop an airplane to India and pick some up from any street vendor, you get the idea.  As opposed to a more delicate green tea, Masala Chai is a fully oxidized black tea and can take the rigor of being steeped in water at boiling temperature, so the tea bagged preparation is relatively simple.
  1-Bring fresh, cold water to a boil in your tea kettle or sauce pan, 2-Carefully pour the water immediately over the tea bag, 3-Steep for 4 to 5 minutes (or longer if you like, experiment), 4-Remove the tea bag, add milk and sweeten as you like, enjoy!

* Here are several links to online recipes for making your own Masala Chai.  Try these at first but don't be afraid to experiment, you may discover something wonderful (just be sure to share it with me please)!

• http://www.food.com/recipe/indian-masala-chai-190932

• http://www.chai-tea.org/rec/rec104.html

• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/drink/views/Spiced-Milk-Tea-Masala-Chai-355421

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVmV1tJ1YPo (***DON'T PANIC on this link, there are subtitles in English that start at 00:42, even though I don't understand his language I can tell he is really excited about sharing this wonderful drink and how to make it.)

  Until next time, two things, first, to a good friend and one of the most sincere and most cheerful regular customers I ever had the pleasure of knowing at the coffee shop, to Mootee', I hope you and all your loved ones are healthy and doing well back in India, until it is my pleasure that we meet again!
  Second, a quick, but poignant tea saying, by that ever popular author Sir "unknown":

"Remember the tea kettle, even though it is up to its neck in hot water, it still sings!" 

 Barista Dave!