By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food
Generally brewed using black tea infused with a number of fragrant spices, chai (literally meaning ‘tea’ in may parts of the world) is a centuries-old Indian tradition and has become increasingly popular in Britain in recent years. So, tying in with this booming popularity, as well as their new Chai range, contemporary tea specialists T2 brought their renowned Chai Championship to the UK for the first time ever last week, taking place at their Regent Street Store. Following on from two previous successful competitions in their home of Australia, the UK debut saw some of the country’s most accomplished baristas battling it out for a ticket to Australia, where the winner will compete in the Australian Chai Championships to try and win an incredible chai-inspired trip to India.
During the competition a range of inspired chai creations were presented (including chai rum), however to keep things relatively simple; T2 have shared the recipe for their ‘Brick Lane Chai’ – a classic blend of sweet, savoury and spice. All of the ingredients are available to buy from T2’s website, except the vanilla soy and honey. You will also need a teapot with an infuser basket.
Ingredients
Chai, 4 scoops, (we recommend either Go Go Goa for a creamy nutty taste or Raving Rajah for a spicy kick)
Toasty Nougat, 4 scoops
Cocoa Loco, 2 scoops
Indian Spice, 1 scoop
Honey, to taste
Vanilla soy, 500ml, heated
Method
In an infuser basket of a 1 litre teapot, add the all the teas and honey.
Pour over 500ml of boiling water and allow to brew for 5 minutes. Remove the infuser and discard the leaves.
Add 500ml of hot Vanilla Soy to the teapot, mix well and serve.
T2 Tea’s new Chai range is now available in stores and online from T2tea.com.
