A newly discovered love for Chai Latte

As a total coffee addict it’s hard to find something else as satisfying as coffee is.
However lately I was a bit thrown off my game with coffee and so I was looking for not really an alternative, more like another love.

I am not a tea fan per sé so it had to be something more intriguing.
A few days ago while making my daily round through the park and having my best friend on the phone I saw again this cute turquoise Api car where they sell coffee & more. And this time I just wanted to try something out so I went for a Chai Latte which I very much enjoyed. Also the fact to walk around with a paper cup in your hand I just like, I guess that’s a habbit I took on while being in the States for many years.
The following days I went for a Chai almost every day, tried out different places and kept on watching and asking how they are making their Chai Latte since till then it remained a little bit of a mystic for me. Pretty fast it was clear that most of the cafés are using some sort of powder or the fancy ones use a liquid mix... which all didn‘t really make me happy since knowing a real Chai Latte should be made from real tea. Still not knowing anything really, I was certain that I don’t want to drink bad stuff which contains a lot of things you just don’t want to put into your body #healthyfood. Later I found out that those “ready to go” powders/liquids additionally contain a lot of sugar which ultimately threw me off.

Here I was, searching the internet to look for a Chai tea to my liking and as you may guess already, there are soooo many options. More often I came across the Masala Blend so I started digging into that a bit more.
There is so much to know and I am anywhere but close to know enough, however I came across this company called @exclusivithee from the Netherlands who is importing directly from Mariage Frères (tea lovers apparently know this place),supposed to be the champagne of tea as they say. I should probably mention that I love champagne, not the stuff you get in the supermarket or all those super duper brands - don’t get me wrong, just not my cup of tea. Having been more frequently in the Grand Cru area of Champagne and testing their champagne makes you never want to drink anything else again… spoiled forever. 🤷‍♀️
Coming back to my new found love to Chai Latte, Exclusivithee offers different blends of Chai tea, one of them is the Masala Blend I was looking for...
after reading more about their Masala Blend I was simply hooked... all ingredients are natural & vegan, no artificial substances are added and to naturally sweeten it they add some agave.
I couldn’t wait to receive my package and while I was waiting (which was super short) I had a very nice mail exchange with Wendy, the owner. You could just feel how much she loves what she is doing.

Following their instructions how to make a Chai Latte it’s fairly easy, just takes a few minutes, but man... is this delicious 😋
It has been this very first sip which blew me away... it was so tasty and rich while not being too sweet, just the perfect combination while knowing it‘s all natural and there it happened: I disovered my love for Chai!
In my case I find the best combination is with Oatly Barista oat milk, but you can mix it with any milk basically. As a finishing touch I just add some cinnamon and fresh cardamom - suggested by Wendy and highly recommended by me.

What it made me realise is that all the Chai Latte‘s I was buying so far, doesn’t matter, if from a big chain or small cool café they always use some sort of instant powder or liquid (and I am sure they have very good reasons for it such as time), but they all contain quite some sugar. Now knowing a tiny little bit more about it I will never buy a Chai Latte again unless they make it fresh from tea as it’s supposed to be done.
Bit until then... I just make my own Chai Latte with oat milk and bring it in a reusable fancy Corkcicle tumbler to walk my round.
If you see someone walking around in one of the parks in Amsterdam with a big smile on her face while enjoying a Chai Latte out of a reusable tumbler - that might be just me!

Your me & mia founder
p.s. my first love will always remain coffee though, but who says you can‘t have a second one as well😉

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