Kuki Chai - Yogic Chai

So much for the 40+ degree weather they predicted today. It is in the mid-20s right now but with the wind chill it feels like 12 degrees. Fantastic. I wouldn't mind so much if I hadn't had such high expectations! I really feel sorry for my friend who's training for the Boston Marathon. She was going to be doing a training run this morning in this horrific cold. (I only know this because she asked me to leave some water in the mailbox as a water stop.) In case you're interested, she has a great blog (The Marathon Mama) and is doing the marathon to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Center. You can donate on her site or buy some of her cool stuff at Cafe Press. (I particularly like the new logos - "Marathon Mama - 26.2 miles of peace & quiet."

Now, enough feeling sorry for Kristina. I'm going to settle down with my chai. :) (How mean is that?)

Today I tried the Kuki Chai by Yogic Chai. This chai is composed of kukicha (Japanese roasted twig tea), cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger - all organic. Kukicha is made from the most delicate stems and branches from the tea bush. These branches are steamed, dried, aged, and roasted. I find the flavor of kukicha to be reminiscent of some of the woodier greens.

This was an interesting chai. The dry leaf of kukicha is always interesting as it really does look like small twigs (as it should). The green of the cardamom pods and the lighter brown of the cinnamon stick was an interesting contrast.

I brewed this tea just as I did with Yogic Chai's Masala Chai. I brought 1 cup of water and 1 tsp tea to a boil then simmered for 2 1/2 minutes. I added 1/4 cup of milk and simmered 1 minute more. I sweetened with 1 tbs real maple syrup.

The scent was subtle and slightly sweet. The flavors of the ginger and cardamom dominated. There was a slightly nutty note provided by the kukicha. It was all and all a much more delicate, less rich option than the masala chai. There was a nice round mouth feel to it. A very nice, well balanced blend with a wonderful sweet aftertaste.

Tea: Kuki Chai
Source: Yogic Chai
Type: Kukicha tea chai
Brewing details: 1 tsp brought to a boil then simmered in 1 cup water for 2 1/2 minutes. Then simmered 1 minute more with 1/4 cup milk. Sweetened with 1 tbs maple syrup.
Comment: Another nice offering from Yogic Chai. But for me, their Masala Chai is going to be pretty hard to beat. (I let M. try this one too - He'd never had Kukicha before. He liked it, but is also still thinking about the Masala.)

For more information on tea, please visit The Tea Pages website.