CUP CHARACTERISTICS: A trip around the Orient. Sultry notes of hot Malabar spice mellowed by an exceptional Japan Sencha green tea.
INGREDIENTS: Green tea, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Black + White pepper, Clove, Nutmeg.
INGREDIENTS FROM: India / China
GRADE(S): Sencha - Made to Japanese specifications
CAFFEINE LEVEL: Medium
KOSHER: Yes
VEGETARIAN: Yes
VEGAN: Yes
INFUSION: Light shimmering green
INFORMATION:
While our Master Taster has had Chai everywhere from Assam to Goa, what stood out about the cup on this particular occasion was that it was based on a green tea - traditionally, Indian chai uses black tea as its base. Not wanting to be rude and knowing how tightly guarded many tea-secrets are, he summoned both his courage and artful diplomacy to ask the temple cook how he had made the intoxicating blend. The cook was hesitant. To see if our Master Taster was worthy of receiving such a recipe, the cook asked him a series of questions about Indian tea. Thankfully, he passed the test and the recipe was written out for him to take home.
The tea you hold now is the result of this fateful temple visit. The blend is identical to the original in every way save for the base tea. While the original used an Indian green tea, ours is based on a premium Japanese Sencha grade tea, selected for its light flavor and ability to blend seamlessly with a multitude of spice. (As a side note, the idea for the name Fusion stems from our blending of Indian and Japanese tea traditions.) The cup is rich and warm, rolling over the taste buds with soothing notes of peppery spice. Perhaps on a future visit to Chennai, we'll bring a bag of this tea as an offering to the temple that inspired it. Namaste!
While our Master Taster has had Chai everywhere from Assam to Goa, what stood out about the cup on this particular occasion was that it was based on a green tea - traditionally, Indian chai uses black tea as its base. Not wanting to be rude and knowing how tightly guarded many tea-secrets are, he summoned both his courage and artful diplomacy to ask the temple cook how he had made the intoxicating blend. The cook was hesitant. To see if our Master Taster was worthy of receiving such a recipe, the cook asked him a series of questions about Indian tea. Thankfully, he passed the test and the recipe was written out for him to take home.
The tea you hold now is the result of this fateful temple visit. The blend is identical to the original in every way save for the base tea. While the original used an Indian green tea, ours is based on a premium Japanese Sencha grade tea, selected for its light flavor and ability to blend seamlessly with a multitude of spice. (As a side note, the idea for the name Fusion stems from our blending of Indian and Japanese tea traditions.) The cup is rich and warm, rolling over the taste buds with soothing notes of peppery spice. Perhaps on a future visit to Chennai, we'll bring a bag of this tea as an offering to the temple that inspired it. Namaste!
HOT BREWING METHOD:
Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz / 200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 5-10 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).
Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz / 200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 5-10 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).