Tea journal: Celestial Seasonings "Teahouse Chai" Vanilla Ginger Green Tea

As part of the big health changes I'm making in my life this year, I've decided to start drinking a lot more tea, as a substitute for the massive amounts of intensely sweetened soft drinks I've normally drank throughout my life; and to drink only decaffeinated tea after 3pm, to aid in the quest for better sleep without the need for pharmaceuticals (something I think more and more about these days, the closer I get to 40). And with tea being relatively inexpensive in the US these days as well (typically only US$3 to 4 for 20 high-end tea bags, when found on sale), I thought it'd be fun to try a whole bunch of different kinds out this spring, summer and autumn, and to keep a running journal here at my VOX account concerning what I thought of each.

All teas are brewed in boiling distilled water for a total of six minutes, and have one spoon of honey added unless otherwise noted.

Tea being reviewed: Celestial Seasonings, "Teahouse Chai" series, Vanilla Ginger Green Tea

Caffeine: 20 mg -- about a third of a can of soda, or a quarter of a cup of coffee

Ingredients: Both green and black tea, cinnamon, ginger, chicory, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper.

Aroma: Arabic and spicy, as if loitering in a Moroccan cafe.

Taste: Surprisingly intense for a mainstream packaged tea, heavy on the ginger and cinnamon. Doesn't stand up to cafe-style chai tea when milk or cream is added; see notes below for more.

Iced: Haven't tried yet.

Notes: Celestial Seasonings is mostly associated in this country with the image of overweight, cloyingly sweet midwestern housewives, who are into such overly made-up precious things as porcelain dolls and child beauty contests. That such a company would decide to start selling a vanilla ginger green chai tea is I think proof of how much certain elements of the new-age movement have become mainstream beliefs in America by now, for international readers who don't know, and more importantly how much money can be made peddling the less controversial elements of the new-age movement to midwestern housewives who are into both precious things and consumerism as lifestyle.

That said, Celestial Seasonings does a pretty good job of it, delivering a blend which packs a sincerely exotic aroma, and a taste that is a definite far cry from "Earl Grey with a little ginger thrown in." When drank "black" (nothing added) or with lemon/honey, this is a legitimately intense and different experience than a traditional cup of black or green tea, and a taste that really does take some getting used to. For those, however, who are already accustomed to the chai tea experience, and especially those who are used to them being hand-made in a cafe environment, be aware that the teabag version here won't hold up; adding a substantial amount of milk or cream, for example, almost a requirement in a cafe version so as to lessen the intensity, in this case will simply result in a nasty cup of watery tea with way too much milk in it.

I'll be interested to see what this tastes like when brewed up as a pitcher and served over ice; I'll post a new entry once I've done so.

In conclusion: Something nice to have on hand, for special occasions when you feel like something a little more intense or exotic than usual. Excellent for when you're sick. Unfortunately not nearly as good as cafe-style chai tea, nor can it be served the same way.