Masala & Elaichi Chai, London, UK

The 100 sachet box of masala chai which was delicious “ Please bring me a pack of masala chai,” asked my son Andrew as I was getting ready to leave London for Tennessee. So off the two of us, my older son David and I went to Athifs, a well known store that stocked Indian and Pakistani goodies besides other Asian foods. We got a box of 100 sachets for him, but I spied the Cardamom chai and had to have a box. I was hooked in the cold of London and finished the box of elaichi tea while I was still there and carried another with me. Masala chai is a flavoured tea beverage made by brewing black tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs. Originating in the Indian subcontinent, the beverage has gained worldwide popularity, becoming a feature in many coffee and tea houses.

The BA Boeing which took me was brand new. A 'masala chai' is a chai tea with milk and a hint of spices – cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon mostly. ... The main difference between chai and masala tea is the addition of spices. Chai is black tea and hot milk, while Masala tea will combine black tea, milk and a few spices The spices we use in the Masala Chai are known in Ayurveda to have many health benefits, especially relating to the digestive system, like stimulating the appetite, reducing gas, and counteracting stomach acidity. Cardamom is known to enhance appetite, improve digestion and provide relief from acidity in the stomach.

My absolute favourite, especially since it could be bought sugar free Although the ingredients may vary from region to region, "tea masala" typically consists of Crushed Ginger, Crushed Cardamom, Pepper balls, Cloves, Cinnamom. The mixture is brought to a boil and 1 teaspoon of loose black tea is added. The Masala Chai tea blend we bought combined premium Ceylon black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger.. So, Masala Chai is literally 'spiced tea'. The tea has a warm and inviting fragrance, zesty flavor, and invigorating, aromatic finish. Each chai has a different flavour to it. India Chai blends Ginger, Cardamom, and Masala which are usually 2.3g servings and contain 67 to 78 milligrams of caffeine. Tea India which is loose Leaf teas @ 2.8 grams per serving contains 118 milligrams of caffeine. To compare -- A strong cup of black coffee has about 120 milligrams of caffeine. The black tea form of masala chai can help in preventing weight gain of belly fat. Also, masala chai alone cannot help in weight loss. It is only when combined with regular exercising and clean and healthy eating that masala chai will be beneficial for your health High amounts of black tea can cause side effects due to the caffeine in black tea. These side effects can range from mild to serious and include headache, nervousness, sleep problems, vomiting, diarrhea, irritability, irregular heartbeat, tremor, heartburn, dizziness, ringing in the ears, convulsions, and confusion. With my heavy cough and cold my only solace was Masala chai, the whole day. It was soothing in the winter cold of Tennessee and London.