Taranjit
(This is not a sponsored post.)
Growing up in an Indian household, there is never a day when cha is not made. If you grew up in a similar setting, then you know cha is an important part of the Indian diet. It is made at least once a day, if not more. Indians can’t live without it. It is our coffee. It is the first thing that is started on the stove every morning, and the first thing to start making when guests are coming over. Truth be told, we can’t live without it. I have no idea what will happen if we didn’t happen, and I don’t think I want to find out.
What is cha, you say?
Let me explain briefly. And trust me, it is nothing like Starbucks chai, no matter how much they advertise it to be. If their plan was to make cha, then it didn’t go so well. I want to know what cha they tried when they came up the way to make chai.
Indian cha is not made the same way tea is made here in America. American tea, from what I know, is usually made by dipping a tea bag in hot water, and voila tea is ready. I have tried it, and I have not enjoyed it. It tastes as if I am drinking water with a little bit of flavor. That is not tea.
Cha does start with water and black tea, whether it is in a bag or loose that is your choice, but then there is more to it than that. In my house, cha has at least, fennel seeds, carom seeds, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, and cloves. Occasionally other ingredients get added, such as cinnamon, tulsi (Holi Basil), and mulethi (licorice). All these ingredients are boiled in water before milk is added, and then that milk is brought to a boil. That is the Indian cha I know.
What did Starbucks invent?
I never thought I would ever find myself in Starbucks, but here I was. I don’t drink coffee. Never had or really felt the need to try. Maybe because I have cha 😉 But then came the day when I decided to give it a shot.
My mom, sister, and I were returning from a trip from the west coast. Of course, we boarded the redeye and we arrived back east very early in the morning, and we had at least a two hour drive before we got home depending on traffic. We were in need of our morning fix and some food. So, we had no choice but to stop at Starbucks to get some caffeine.
I had heard that they came out with a chai latte and how it was inspired from Indian cha. So, I thought, why not give it a shot. I walk up to the register to place an order, nervous for some reason. I had always heard jokes about the Starbucks ordering process. A process that I did not know. All I knew how to do was order items as they were on the menu. I don’t know how to do this customization part. I don’t even know what goes into this drink to even know where to begin making modifications.
So I just ask for three chai lattes. And the cashier asks for what size. My mind goes blank on the Starbucks lingo for the sizes of small, medium, and large. For the life of me, I could not remember, so I said small. Yikes. I know. But, they probably get that a lot, right?
Anyways, we got our drink, which was made surprisingly fast. Way faster that it would take me to make cha at home. Then came the true moment that I would learn what was so great about this drink. What was all the hype about? And I took that first sip.
My thoughts…
It was not bad, but it was not my favorite. There was a hint of something strong in it. Something I was not a big fan of, and I could not put my finger on what I was tasting. Despite not really loving this drink, I sipped it all the way home. I needed some sort of caffeine and this was all I had. I paid for this drink, and there was no way I was going to waste it. After all, money doesn’t grow on trees.
It did not have the same taste of cha. So when I got home, I began to research how this chai latte is made. What does Starbucks put into this drink and what was giving it that strong flavor. I found, not sure if this correct or not, that they use black tea, an ingredient used to make cha. Now, I don’t know if it is the same black tea or not, but that is a minor detail that is not that important. They also add milk, water, chai tea concentrate, sugar, honey, ginger juice, and other ingredients. Nothing that stood out to me to be the culprit of the hint of unfamiliar flavor I was tasting. Then I looked closely at what this chai tea concentrate was comprised of, and I found the culprit: black pepper. Who puts black pepper in tea? Let me tell you, Starbucks! Why? If they didn’t add that one ingredient, the drink would be pretty good. I might have found myself coming back for more on occasion. I am sure Starbucks has enough customers that not having me as one would n
