Sumitra's Chai

Q: Where does the sweetness come from? Is there any sugar?
A:
No added sugar here! The sweetness comes naturally from the rose hips, star anise and cinnamon - we use a Ceylon or 'true' cinnamon in this blend that is sweeter than the cassia cinnamon most commonly found in your spice cupboard.

Q: What is roasted maté? Is it similar to yerba maté?
A:
The "yerba" in "yerba maté" comes from the Spanish word for "herb." In this case, we are talking about the leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis plant, which are simply harvested, dried, cut and sifted to make the traditional South American drink known as maté. Roasted maté is made by drying the leaves under elevated heat (typically 150 to 200 C or 300 to 400 F). During roasting, the leaves undergo a chemical reaction between the naturally occurring amino acids and reducing sugars, which develop rich, smoky, nutty, and slightly sweet flavors in the leaves. The roasting process also reduces any bitterness and brings out a darker color in the leaf.

Q: Is this blend very high in caffeine?
A:
The caffeine content is low comapred to a cup of straight tea or maté. This is firstly because the blend is primarily herbal, containing only a little over 10% maté. Second, you will likely use boiling water to extract the flavour - less caffiene is extracted from maté at higher water temperatures than at lower temperatures.

Cinnamon*, Cardamom*, Rose hip*, Star anise*, Turmeric*, Roasted maté*, Clove*, Ginger*.

*Certified organic ingredient

Pour 1 cup (250 ml) boiling water over 1 to 1.5 tsp of tea. Let steep 10+ minutes.

All teas (except for storage tin option) come packaged in bags made from wood and are home compostable. Learn more.

Wrap labels are printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper and secured using non-toxic adhesives.

Tins are reusable (hand wash only) and curb-side recyclable in most municipalities.