I love tea, but I never really liked chai until last year–when my tea addiction led me to the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. While there, I tasted hundreds of teas from around the world. It was amazing! And although I tried various chais, only one stood out. No powder or skimpy ingredients–only all natural, handmade and blended fresh ones. The display was quite impressive, with a large container of chai on a podium, for all to see and smell. Covered in Australian Bushland honey, the blend was dark and shiny. And the taste? My friend and I were hooked immediately. When I got home, it was on my list of top teas, and I now sell it locally. No worries, though. It recently popped up on Amazon, so you can get it easily.
Meet Prana Chai–one hundred percent Black Ceylon Tea, Australian Bushland Honey, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, peppercorns, cloves, fresh ginger, and salt. Although it tastes like a guilty pleasure, it’s loaded with health benefits. Just look at the pictures below. You can actually see the spices.
I traveled the entire summer and picked up many chai and matcha lattes from various coffee and tea shops, yet none of them tasted as good as the Prana Chai I make at home. And I won’t even go into the amount of money I spent on them! My advice–make your own chai latte at home, for less than five minutes. It’s simple, healthy, and tastes amazing. A chai latte shouldn’t be a sugar-laden, pricey splurge. You can easily add it to your daily lifestyle.
The only ingredients you need are a bag of Prana Chai, milk, a small pot, a small strainer, and a mug. Although you can buy special chai pots, any small pot will do. You’re not going to boil the milk, so you don’t have to worry about scorching it. Except for the Prana Chai, most people have the other ingredients on hand.
First, add two heaping teaspoons of Prana Chai into the pot. (I use tablespoons, because I usually supersize mine.)
Then add the milk. I usually pour it into my mug first so I get the right amount.
Cook on medium high while stirring. The color will soon start to look like chocolate milk. Your goal is to get it nice and hot–not boiling or simmering! The whole process takes only a couple of minutes.
Then you pour it over a strainer into your mug.
Notice how yummy the blend looks, even after heating.
And here’s the finished latte:
The end result is a creamy and tasty chai latte–in less than five minutes! And although it’s premixed, did you see any powder or fake ingredients? Nope!
Now, everyone has their own milk preference, and the recommendation is to use almond milk. I did that at first, but I soon found something better. I tried it with Fairlife milk, and it tastes even better than before. I’m not saying you should go out and buy the more expensive brand of milk. I’m just saying you should try different types until you find the one that works for you. I personally use Fairlife so that it’s a healthy splurge. It’s lactose free and has less sugar. Although this chai tastes like a guilty pleasure, it’s not. I can have my cake and eat it too–or rather, have my chai and dark chocolate and eat them both too.
Many people add extra honey to the pot before they heat it, but I find it tastes fine without it. I’m more of a purest and don’t add sugar to my teas. I advise people to try to go without the extra sweeteners. Your taste will adjust, and you’ll soon not want the sugar. That’s my advice for the day. Try it first without extra honey. In fact, try it a few times without extra honey. You’ll start craving it without.
If you know someone who loves chai lattes, Prana offeres a variety of gift sets, and I highly recommend them. If buying for yourself, you really don’t need the extras. You can just use what you already have at home. I’m telling you. This is the good stuff, and you should definitely try it.
