Tea Experiment #1: Choc-o-Chai

In my pervious review of Coconut Chai Masala from Yogic Chai, I mentioned that I thought about adding chocolate milk instead of white milk to the chai. After not finding anything in the house that satisfied my chocolate craving (for today), I finally put this chocolate milk and chai combination to the test.

In the recipe that Yogic Chai suggested, they said to add maple syrup as a sweetener. Therefore, I thought why not chocolate syrup? I used the same brewing times and parameters as was used for plain Coconut Chai Masala (see review for recipe). The only difference was that I added about a tablespoon of chocolate syrup to the milk and blended them together, then added that chocolate mixture to the chai.

After the chai had finished steeping, it still had the familiar pumpkin pie smell that I love. The aroma always makes me feel comfy and cozy inside. I could smell a little bit of the chocolate, but I had to really look for it.

It tasted amazing! The taste was like jazzed up hot chocolate. I could taste just enough of the chocolate to be satisfied and the chocolate did not mask any of the other flavors. The cinnamon and ginger were more distinguishable than the other spices, but I could get a hint of everything that was in my cup. Even though I think this could be drunk as a warm, comforting treat any time of the year, I would love to specifically serve this around the winter holidays. Just add some mini marshmallows or whipped cream and enjoy. (Idea: add whipped cream with shavings of nutmeg or chocolate on top of that and a cinnamon stick for garnish)

Ok, so it was not the healthiest thing in the world by adding chocolate syrup. However, I was still getting the calcium from the milk and all of the fantastic health benefits from the chai (read more about the benefits of chai here). I think this would be a great treat for both adults and (older) children.

The only thing I would do differently next time is use chocolate powder instead of syrup. The syrup had a tendency to settle at the bottom. Even though I added a tablespoon, only half of that got mixed into the milk. Chocolate powder will not mix completely with milk either, but I think it might do a better job than the syrup. Although, overall, I am very pleased with how it turned out (my cup was empty before I even finished writing this entry).