January is National Hot Tea Month, and I thought I would post at the end of the month for a change. Or it could be that I forgot to add procrastinating to my goals for 2022. Caffeine Free Chai Tea.
Dianne and I have a nice evening routine. After dinner and tidying up the kitchen, we walk Lily around the block, then turn off our phones for a bit of Tea and TV. Ozark is back, Line of Duty (Bent Brit Coppers) and Saturday Night Live is pretty funny this season. Our boring pandemic patterns continue.
Our nighttime tea of choice has been Organic Peppermint mixed with Ginger Root. Ginger is excellent for digestion, and peppermint is calming, sleep-inducing, and helps distract from dessert cravings. If I am being completely honest, we do add a nip of honey.
As our weather in Florida has gotten a bit colder, we have started drinking caffeine free chai tea. The actual name is Spicy Market Fruit Tea. Perhaps I should have named this gem Caffeine Free Chai tea, but we wanted to celebrate Farmer’s Markets back when we added this tea, and there is a fruity element that makes this more than a chai.
When you should Drink Caffeine Free Chai Tea
So, that’s ‘When’ we drink caffeine free chai tea, which is most evenings after dinner.
Now the ‘Why.’ First, this tea is a delicious combination of spicy and sweet. Typical chai tea includes black tea which has caffeine. Our Cochin Masala Chai has black tea from India and Kenya as the base, and then a variety of spices are blended. Chai tea with steamed milk (or Almond Milk, or Oat Milk) and honey is a great way to start the day.
Why you should Drink Caffeine-Free Chai
The bakery at Morton’s Gourmet Market sells heaps and heaps of our Cochin Masala caffeine free Chai Tea every morning, all year long. And, September 21st is National Chai Tea day, in case you were wondering!
But, most people do not need caffeine at the end of the day, so a caffeine free chai tea option is necessary.
Our Spicy Market Fruit Tea weaves in a bit of ginger to help with digestion and cinnamon to improve circulation. Clove is very high in antioxidants (30 times the antioxidant level of blueberries!!) and is excellent for oral hygiene. Cardamom is widely known as the Queen of Spices and among its many health benefits are as a mood enhancer and natural antidepressant. I could go on, but let’s get to the Fruity part.
Apple and hibiscus add crisp sweetness. I think the apple brings out the sweetness of the cinnamon and leads to a light lingering cinnamon finish to this tea. You will also find blue cornflower in this blend that may or may not contribute to the sweetness but certainly makes this a visually gorgeous tea in the tin.
How do we prepare this tea? You can steep this as long as you like, and it will only get stronger with no chance of bitterness. We use a French Press rather than a teapot because the tea is absolutely beautiful to look at.
How you should prepare Spicy Market Fruit Tea
My routine is to add hot water to the empty glass french press. I give it a swirl and pour the water into two mugs to give them a warm-up. Then I add 3 heaping teaspoons into the french press. One for Dianne, one for me, and one for the tea gods!
I steep for five minutes and boil more water in our electric kettle. While the tea is steeping is the perfect time for a moment of reflection or to consider plans for the next day.
Then I ditch the water that warmed up the mugs and pour two cuppas. I add boiling water to the press for a second steep (Multi Steeping) and bring that to our TV lair.
Spicy Market Fruit Tea is sweet enough for us, so I don’t add anything. But, my advice is to experiment. Steep it longer, steep it shorter, add different things like honey, maple syrup, or try it with a bit of lemon. Have fun.
And, just because January is the end of National Hot Tea month does not mean you have to stop drinking hot tea. Now that you have the How, When, and Why you should be drinking caffeine free Chai Tea, drink more chai!