OrganicBunny.com Eating

Relax & Have Some Chai Tea

On these cold winter mornings, there's nothing quite like a cup of hot tea to help get the day off to a good start. And, with its yummy flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg, there's no tea quite like chai tea.

Tea has such a delicate flavor that I was skeptical whether there would be a significant taste difference between organic and traditionally made varieties. Still, we had to find out.

I was amazed by the selection of chai teas at my local supermarket. From organic to natural to flavored (even vanilla and chocolate), chai tea is obviously a popular choice among consumers. To be fair, we stayed away from the flavored varieties and just tested original chai tea. We picked up 9 different varieties (the largest taste test yet in Bunny history!) and headed home to try them out.

Methodology: 3 tasters were up for this challenge, ranging in ages from 20's to 50's. Some of us were tea lovers, and some of us didn't even particularly care for chai tea! So we had a full range of preferences represented. Answers shown on the report are an average of all three testers' opinions. Since we wanted to really taste the individual flavors, we didn't mix our tea with milk & honey, as in the case of authentic chai. Instead, we brewed up a pot of each variety according to the package instructions. After it cooled down a bit, we took several test sips and rated each variety. We had a swig of water (and some snacks) in between each variety, to clear the palate.

Since there's no significant nutritional value in chai tea, we didn't rate the Most Healthy/Nutritious in this test. Out of the 9 varieties we tried, though, Numi probably would have won. This variety is not only certified organic; it is also fair-trade certified, and kosher. We think that sounds pretty darn healthy for you! Kudos also go to Celestial Seasonings; Tazo; Republic Chai; Numi, and Zhena's Gypsy Tea for using recycled packaging!

Winner for Most Tasty: For overall taste, the Yogi Tea variety was the clear winner. This tea has a strong spicy smell and robust taste to go along with it. (Unlike some other varieties we tried, which smelled delightful and then tasted rather flat.) Combining it with milk and/or honey isn't going to weaken the delicious flavor. Celestial Seasonings and Stash came in not far behind, however, and are also definitely worth a try. Interesting to note is that the Yogi variety is caffeine-free, while Celestial Seasonings contains caffeine. So your choice of brand could depend on whether you're going for a morning zing or a relaxing bedtime cup.

Winner for Best Value: Celestial Seasonings and Bigelow varieties won't break your bank. They're also widely available and relatively easy to find. Celestial Seasonings also scored well in our taste test.

Conclusion: Our testers didn't notice a significant difference between the organic and traditional chai tea varieties. In looking for a tea with a distinctive taste, we were surprised by how bland some varieties were. Like wine, however, the flavor of tea is a matter of personal preference. (If you prefer something more plain, go for those that scored low with us.) We encourage you to go out and try your favorite tea in an organic variety, then write us and tell us (LINK to contact us) what you thought! Until then, happy sipping!