Love Chai Spices

LOVE CHAI SPICES

Recently I had the pleasure of getting to know Liz Edgecombe, from The Spice People. She knows how passionate I am about spices, and she certainly is! I have been asking Liz if I can put together a spice pack for women doing my 4-week online programme so it becomes super easy for everyone to have the spices on hand throughout the 30 days. We’ve come up with a great mix of spices, including a spice chai drink. So I asked Liz if she would like to write a guest post about some chai spices she particularly likes at the moment, and ways to use them. Below is her article.

At The Spice People, we absolutely love chai

I drink chai every day, in fact!

I still love coffee, but I typically only have one cup a day. My partner likes to have a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, so I’ll drink a cup with him to start my day.

I’ll often have a cup of chai around 3:00 PM every day – it’s my secret little “pick-me-up” for the afternoon. Most days, I have another cup later in the day, too…..our Golden Spice chai is a great nightcap for me, a caffeine free silky brew right before bedtime.

Looking for ways to incorporate chai into your life on a daily basis?

Here are my 8 best chai tips for you:

1.Chai doesn’t just taste great – it’s great for you too!
 Studies have shown that as women age, one of the ways to reduce the effects of menopause is to reduce caffeine, alcohol, and certain foods. Switching from coffee to chai is a healthy and delicious way to decrease the amount of caffeine you consume. By switching from coffee to our People’s Chai or Chilli Choc Chai, you’ll reduce your caffeine intake by 1/3. If you want to completely eliminate caffeine, you can also substitute in our Turmeric, Herbal or Hibiscus chai mixes – they’re all 100% caffeine free!

2. Follow the seasons when choosing your chai. During the winter months, brew the more heart-warming chai like our People’s Chai, Chilli Choc Chai, or Golden Spice Chai. During the summer months, you can brew amazing iced teas with herbal and Hibiscus Chai, and our herbal tisanes are great during the changes between the seasons.

3. Let your energy level guide you. If you are feeling sluggish, a cup of Chilli Choc Chai or Hibiscus Chai can give you a boost and stimulate your metabolism. One of our customers swears that it helped her lose weight!  While our herbal tisanes are great to calm the mind and wind down after a long day.

4. There’s a chai for every occasion! If you’re thirsty after you’ve been exercising, have a Hibiscus Chai….they’re so much better for you than sports drinks! If you’re feeling overheated or stressed, try an herbal chai. 
Need a little indulgence while you’re snuggling together on the couch while you’re watching a movie on a cold winter’s night? Drink a Chilli Choc Chai for a wonderful treat (without all the calories of a hot chocolate).
Chai is also really easy (and fast!) to brew individually – so you can make customised cups for your friends and family when you have people over.

5. Keep chai on hand as a revitalising summer drink. Have a pitcher of diluted Hibiscus Chai in the fridge, so you’ll always have a tasty and refreshing drink ready. It’s far better for thirst quenching than plain water, and you’ll want to drink a lot of it.
 Consider adding in a slice of fresh lemon, ginger and mint for added zest and flavour in your iced tea – or try a slice of orange!

6. Personalise your chai experience. There are no right or wrong choices when it comes to chai, so have fun experimenting with your cup! If you love cinnamon, you can always add a little extra to your brew. Adding a slice of fresh ginger will brighten the flavours and add a little more warmth to your chai.
I personally love to make a brew of preserved ginger with honey and add a couple slices to my People’s Chai, particularly in winter.
 You can also experiment with different ways to brew your chai.  You can make your People’s Chai latte style, using 1 cup of texturised milk – or make it with 50% hot water and 50% milk (or any combination of milk and water). You can also try different milks, like cow, goat, coconut or nut milks.

7. Get the health benefits of hibiscus and turmeric. Hibiscus and turmeric have anti-inflammatory properties, so drinking chai with these ingredients could be beneficial for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and sinusitis. We’ll be talking more about hibiscus later this year, but just as a little preview: It can potentially help with managing blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, menstrual pain, and digestion!

8. Make your chai portable! It’s easy to take your chai then go with our reusable tea bags or disposable tea bags. Our tea bags are made from corn silk, not paper (which can taint the chai flavour). 
When you’re at work, in a restaurant or café, or visiting a friend’s house, just request a cup of hot water or milk and drop in your tea bag.
 This kind of chai may not be quite as good as the fresh brews you make at home with your teapot, but it’s a close second – and bringing your brew with you this way will often get you a far better chai than a lot of cafés are offering!

9. Want to see how easy it is to make at home see our chai master class video which we created with Emma Dean from My Market Kitchen

Simple Ways to Drink Chai Every Day:

Staying healthy doesn’t have to be a chore! It shouldn’t require a lot of extra work.

If you incorporate chai into your day – and add other spices in your everyday cooking – you will get all the health and mood benefits of these amazing spices. You can also experiment with different varieties of chai, try out new brewing methods, and experiment with your chai add-ins to find the right brew for every mood, energy level, and occasion.

When you drink your chai, you’ll also get to sit down, relax, enjoy the moment, and enjoy a wonderful beverage.

Want to look around in Liz’s chai shop? You can check it out here.

Liz is a passionate spice evangelist, master spice blender and owner of the Australian company “The Spice People”. A Melbourne based company supplying independent supermarket and greengrocers for over 20 years with top quality herbs, spices, botanicals, and chai . An avid traveller, Liz loves learning about the culture and local cuisines from around the globe, bringing these authentic recipes back to share with her community. You can purchase the 30-Day programme’s range of spices online here or find local stockists Australia wide.

The mug in the photo is from Mud Australia ceramics.