Organic Masala Chai Rooibos

Our organic, Fair Trade Certified Masala Chai Rooibos blend offers soothing herbal qualities combined with the "zip" of masala chai spices, including cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and vanilla. Rooibos (pronounced ROY-bus), grown in South Africa, is known to be one of the more relaxing beverages one can brew. The needle shaped leaves of the rooibos bush, ( Aspalathus linearis ) produce a caffeine-free drink that is noted by nutritionists and health consultants the world over for its soothing character. In contrast, masala chai renders an overtly spicy brew. Interestingly, the mixture of these two distinct characteristics gives this chai a lovely sense of balance. For the real chai experience, combine a concentrated infusion of our Masala Chai Rooibos blend with warmed milk and honey!

Ingredients: organic South African rooibos, organic ginger, organic cinnamon, organic cardamom, and natural ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla flavors

Serving Size: one level teaspoon per 8 oz cup of water

Staff Perspectives

Aubrey Says: I love using this blend to make chai lattes!

Jeremy Says: This is a mellower, somewhat sweeter masala chai blend than our black tea variety which works very well with the rooibos base.

Sarah Says: My favorite way to make this is a Masala Chai Latte! I like whole milk and honey stirred in, so yummy!

We at Arbor Teas firmly believe that tea should be brewed to suit your personal taste. With that being said, here are some recommendations to get you started, but please remember you can make adjustments based on your own personal taste.

There are three main considerations when brewing tea: quantity of tea, water temperature and steeping time.

Quantity of tea: one level teaspoon per 8 oz cup of water

Water temperature: use water that has been heated to a full rolling boil (212° F)

Steeping time: 5-7 minutes

Tip #1: Use fresh water whenever possible - water that has been sitting in your kettle overnight may impart a flat or stale taste to your tea. Be careful not to boil your water for too long. Over boiled water can sometimes impart an unwanted taste.

Tip #2: Rooibos, unlike tea from the plant camellia sinensis, does not get astringent with longer brew times. So if you happen to steep longer than 7 minutes, don’t worry! Your rooibos will gain more flavor, but it will never become astringent!

Tip #3: Masala Chai Rooibos can be used to make a great caffeine-free version of a Chai Latte!

Learn more from our How To Guides on how to brew loose leaf tea, how to make iced tea, and how to make tea lattes. And don’t forget to check out our Eco-Brewing Tips, too!

How to Brew Loose Tea

How to Make Iced Tea

How to Make Tea Lattes

Eco-Brewing Tips

 

Rooibos tea originates from the leaves and stems of the indigenous South African plant Aspalathus linearis. In contrast to tea from the plant camellia sinensis, rooibos is naturally caffeine free and low in tannins. Tannins are what give tea from the plant camellia sinensis its astringent (mouth puckering) property. Because rooibos is low in tannins, its brew has very little astringency.

Antioxidative activity has also been attributed to rooibos on the basis of its flavonoid content! Often, customers will ask us "Does Rooibos have more or fewer antioxidants than tea?" Unfortunately, at present conflicting evidence is found comparing the levels of antioxidant activity in rooibos with antioxidant activity in tea from the plant camellia sinensis. One method of analysis found rooibos to have antioxidant activity less than green tea, but greater than black tea. In contrast, another method resulted in antioxidant activity less than all tea from the plant camellia sinensis.*

*Source: "Comparison of the antioxidant activity of rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) with green, oolong and black tea " by A. Von Gadow et all, Food Chemistry, Volume 60, Issue 1, 1997.

For a more in-depth discussion of Tea and Health Benefits check here.

For a more in-depth discussion of Tea and Caffeine check here.

Tea Health Benefits

All About Caffeine

 

Masala Chai Spiced Donuts

Choose your own adventure! This recipe is filled with decisions... Fried or Baked? Caffeinated or Not? Doughnuts or Donuts? Try out these two very different and customizable approaches to making chai-spiced donuts. Perfect for the Fall! Check here to view the full recipe for Masala Chai Spiced Donuts!