IT AIN’T NO LIE, BABY CHAI CHAI CHAI
Chai has been around the block and back. Since before you were born. Before your mom was born. Before your mom’s mom was born.
It existed long before the infamous Starbucks chai latte was introduced, before Kris Jenner popped out her first billion dollars, and certainly before Oprah Winfrey’s collab with Teavana. I’m talking centuries before we got our grubby little hands in it. No, millenniums. Somewhere along the hype, the Western world caught on. And, in a lot of cases, got it wrong (no, Tik Tok did not invent the drink, and neither did the Kardashians).
WRONG!
In India, a chai cart is like the hot dog stand of New York—they’re everywhere. They mark each corner, from the baron dessert towns of Thar to the bustling capital where you can find tea makers whipping up a fresh batch every hour. Chai was, and still is, so much more than a prop or a phase—In India, it’s the drink that feeds an entire nation, providing people with the energy and nutrients they need to get through their demanding days.
If America runs on Dunkin, India runs on chai.
The cells in my brain after drinking one Chaga Chai Latte
Originally used in Ayurveda, a traditional system of Indian medicine, masala chai (which is Hindi for spicy tea) is tea plus milk plus a mix of spices and herbs. Ginger, black pepper, cardamon, cinnamon, you name it. And thanks to this hodge podge of ingredients, chai is dripping with benefits—it stimulates the digestive system, relieves pain, and supports circulation and respiratory systems. It’s bursting at the seams with nutrients like calcium and potassium and antioxidants like catechins and theaflavins, natural chemical compounds that fight off disease.
So you can see why we wanted to give chai a try. The Chaga Chai Latte is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. When merged with a packet of Chagaccino, chai takes on a new form that truly can only be described through the senses. The world may be a demanding place, but at least we’re chasing it down with something good.
THE GOODS
- 1 Chagaccino packet
- 2 tablespoons of hot water
- Unsweetened Chai concentrate
- Plant-based milk (however much you please)
- 2 shots of espresso (only if you takes yours dirty)
HOW TO MAKE
- Dissolve Chagaccino in 2 tablespoons of hot water
- Put the Chagaccino mixture in a blender, along with remaining ingredients
- Blend.
- Drink.
