Friday's flavor -- Aussie Spiced Chai

Aussie Spiced Chai

Origin: India/Australia

A blend of tea with chai spices kissed by organic Lemon Myrtle creates a refreshing spiced beverage that will tantalize your senses while maintaining your well-being. Experience the enticing scent of sweet, spicy cinnamon and taste the light citrus flavor, finishing with a wonderful smooth, spicy aftertaste. 212° 1 level teaspoon tea per 8 ounces water; steep for 3-5 minutes.
Ingredients are black tea, cinnamon, anise seeds, lemon myrtle, cloves and cardamom. A great treat on a frosty day, but also a surprisingly tasty iced tea.

Chai is actually the generic Hindi word for tea, just as tea is called cha in China. Tea is so popular in India that it is not uncommon to see street vendors called chaiwallahs serving up chai right in the street. A traditional way to enjoy chai is with milk and a sweetener, usually sugar or honey. Sometime a South Asian cane sugar called jaggery is used instead.

I'll be explaining Lemon Myrtle in greater depth in the future, but in brief terms I can tell you it's a leaf from a tree that is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal and acts as a bronchodilator (easing chest congestion a bit).

Lemon Myrtle -- cure for the common cold?

Lemon myrtle, indigenous to Australia, is a tropical rainforest shrub that can grow into a full tree. It is a less fragrant relative of the eucalyptus, also a native Australian tree. Lemon myrtle’s scientific name is Backhousia citriodora, a tribute to James Backhouse, an English botanist as given by Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, a German botanist who was curator of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens in 1853. The leaves of the Lemon myrtle plant make a wonderful healthful beverage that has kept many SensibiliTeas customers free of the symptoms of the common cold and stomach flu since its introduction two years ago.

The main flavor constituent of Lemon myrtle is citral, which is responsible for most of the lemon scents and flavors in nature, including that found in the lemon fruit, in lemongrass, lemon balm, and lemon verbena. Citral has several medicinal uses. It is a potent antiseptic and may prove useful in treating gastro-intestinal infections, including Helicobacter pylori, which is responsible for many cases of gastric ulcer. It has antispasmodic properties that help alleviate intestinal spasms, as may occur with intestinal infections or adverse reactions to foods. Overall, it has a relaxing effect. Further, one of its modern applications is for treating throat disorders, either due to infection or to overuse and irritation.Lemon myrtle is great as a beverage all by itself, but beautifully complimented by the addition of honey. It can also be found in several tea blends at SensibiliTeas:
Pacific Spring –- Organic Gunpowder green tea with lemon myrtle
Raven’s Zest –- Ceylon black tea with lemon myrtle
Myrtle White –- Organic Pai Mu Tan with lemon myrtle
Myrtle Mint -– Lemon myrtle with Organic American Peppermint – great for colds symptoms
African Outback – Rooibos and lemon myrtle -- perfect for cold prevention -- from the bestsellers list!
SereniTea – A calming, relaxing blend of organic chamomile flowers, lemon myrtle, jasmine flowers, peppermint and lavender flowers.
Waves of Joy – Organic ginger, rosehips, lemongrass & lemon myrtle
A custom blend of Tulsi (Holy Basil), Olive Leaf and Lemon Myrtle makes a delightful detox blend … still working on a name … I’m thinking Holy Detox … any comments?

Lemon Myrtle is safe for all ages, and delicious both hot and iced. However, it is advised that those allergic or sensitive to citrus products avoid usage of this product due to it’s high citral content.