Did you know that September is International Chai Month? (Probably not, since I just made it up.) I know that Pumpkin Spice has already started making its annual appearance in all kinds of foods and beverages, and while I personally am a fan of that pumpkiny-spicey flavor, I thought it would be fun to celebrate some of the selections from the world of Chai first. Just below is our first stop, Xanadu. (Don’t cue the Olivia Newton John song.)
Xanadu Chai
You can find 5 different Chai blends here at Incahoots and let’s start our tour with the one that we use to make our Chai lattes. Xanadu Chai comes from Coffee Bean International, our long-time coffee and tea supplier in Portland. They have been in business since 1972 (a mere 2 years before incahoots got started) so they definitely know how to roast coffee and blend tea.
Xanadu is the brand name for their line of teas and Xanadu Chai is one of the best Chai’s we’ve found. It’s an exotic blend of India black tea, cinnamon, allspice, cardamon, sugar, orange peel, cloves, black pepper, and other natural flavors.
Xanadu Chai is what we use as the base for our Chai lattes here at Incahoots. We brew it extra strong and then finish it with steamed milk (or cold milk for an iced Chai). I like to make my Chai with soy milk, but this Chai works well with whatever type of dairy or plant-based milk you prefer.
If you like to make your own Chai lattes or just enjoy the taste if Chai by itself, this is a great Chai to start with.