There is nothing better on a chilly day then a nice, warm cup of Chai Tea. Did she say chilly? Yes I said chilly. I know most of you are probably freezing half to death where you live but I live in Florida. No I am not rubbing it in. In July, August and September I am wishing for a snow storm to blow in and you all are thinking how do those crazy people stand it down there when it's 104 in the shade.
A cold front is blowing in and for us that means rain and the temps to dip below 70. Today it's a nice 69 degrees and expected to drop into the 40's tonight.
What better time is there for a cup of chai tea? Oh and when it is 104 in the shade I am sipping on iced chai tea when the urge strikes me.
The good folks at Tipu's Chai were nice enough to ask me to review their chai tea and sent me a 4 oz bag of their Instant Black Chai. They also offered the same 4 oz bag of Instant Black Chai to one of my readers.
I had never heard of the Tipu's brand of chai tea before so I immediately went to their website to check things out. I was very impressed with what i read there and couldn't wait to get my sample to try.
The Tipu's brand of instant chai was a bit different from any other instant chai I had ever bought.
The main difference is that there are no added sweeteners. Their instant chai is nothing but a blend of black tea and spices. This intrigued me and I liked the idea of adding my own sweetener. Whether it be sugar or honey depending on the mood I was in. For those of you who avoid refined sugar it is an added benefit. With Tipu's Chai you can use whatever sweetener you use instead of refined sugar.
About Tipu's Chai
At Tipu’s Chai we blend our own mix of spices and organic Indian tea to create a bold, comforting balance of spiciness and depth. Passed from my grandmother to my mother and then to me, this recipe has traveled a long way from Gujarat in India to Africa, England, Montana and now to your very own cup. Enjoy in health. - Bipin Patel, President
You can buy Tipu's Chai at their website or where it is served possibly in your area. You can check here to see if it is.
What I liked: I really like the fact that Tipu's Chai does not have any sweetener added and I could add my own, as much or as little as I want. It has a very nice chai tea flavor. Some chai teas can be a bit weak in the spice department. Not Tipu's! The Instant Black Chai that I tried has a nice balance of black tea and spice flavor.
What I did not like: The only thing I did not like about the Tipu's Instant Black Chai had nothing to do with the flavor of the product, which I love.
The microground instant chai comes in a resealable bag and when I make a cup I have to try to reach down into the bag with my measuring spoon to scoop the tea out. The bag is a bit taller then it needs to be. A nice metal container would have been easier to scoop the tea out of but I am sure a container like that would add considerable cost to the tea. Something the company probably doesn't want to do. For my own use I plan to empty the bag into a glass container of my own with wide mouth lid so it will be easier to scoop.
That said I am enjoying my bag of Tipus Chai. I think it is one of the best Chai tea products I have ever tasted.
Would you like to win your own 4 oz bag of Tipu's Instant Black Chai Tea?
Giveaway ends Sunday December 19th, 2010 at 11:59 pm est
Here's what you need to do:
Please leave your email address on at least one comment so that I may contact you if you win. If you do not and you happen to be the winner I will draw another winner at my own discretion.
Mandatory entry:
Please visit the Tipu's Chai Facebook page and like it. Come back here and leave me a comment letting me know. This will earn you 2 entries into my giveaway.
If you leave a comment on their page letting them know you entered my giveaway you will earn a bonus entry. When you leave your comment let me know it is the bonus entry.
Would you like more chances to win?
1) Follow Tupi's Chai on Twitter @Tupischai 1 extra entry
2) Follow me on twitter @timesrrtuff 1 extra entry
3) Tweet a link to my giveaway. Leave the link to your tweet in your comment and use the hashtag #Tipuschai. You may do this once a day. 1 entry per tweet
3) Like my Times Are Tuff Facebook page 1 entry
4) Sign up for email updates to my blog. There is a subscription box in the right hand sidebar ---->> 1 entry
5) Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect 2 entry
If you do any of the above already just leave a comment letting me know!
Good luck!
Disclosure: I received a product sample from Tipu's Chai in exchange for my review and one for a giveaway. I did not receive any other compensation for this blog post. All opinions in this review are my own.
