I have to confess, I’m a coffee addict! But I’ve been trying to cut back on the coffee I drink lately, mainly because of all the stuff I add to it (I love it with LOTS of milk and honey!) as well as for the plain reason that I feel better when I don’t drink it regularly. Sure, it wakes me up in the morning and keeps me going…for awhile. Then I tend to crash mid-morning, requiring ANOTHER cup of coffee and well, the cycle never really ends. In the past when I’ve quit coffee for awhile, I’ve turned to tea, usually green tea, until I met Chai! I was instantly hooked! So for about a month now I’ve been replacing my morning cup ‘o Joe with a cup of Chai Tea and was pleasantly surprised to find that I don’t seem to crash throughout the day like I did with coffee.So what is Chai anyway? Well, I’ve learned that chai is actually the Hindi word for ‘tea’. Traditional chai tea is a strong black tea blended with spices such as cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, pepper, and ginger. The perfect tea for this time of year as we head into the fall season (today is the first day of fall, by the way. Well, at least it is on this side of the world; I’m a day ahead of you if you’re in the States). Chai tea is also often served with milk added.
Is Chai Tea healthy? Well, considering the antioxidants known to be in black tea, as well as the health benefits found in cinnamon and the other spices added, Chai Tea is a healthy choice. Using honey to sweeten the Chai is also a healthier choice than sugar and brings out the natural flavors of the spices in the tea.So, as you head off to start your day today and as we enter into some cooler weather, pass up on that cup of coffee once in awhile and give Chai a try!