Mar 22, 2004 03:15 PM
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(Updated Oct 21, 2004 06:57 PM)
Red Label is one of the common boxed loose black teas in India. It's available here for USD$5.50 for a 900g box.
I usually use Red Label for chai. It gives a deep color and a strong flavor. Not a full flavor but a strong one which I find complements masala very well. My favorite masala is Badshah brand which seems to have a lot of black pepper for more bite, compared to typical masala mixes which taste more of cinnamon and cloves.
Others I know mix 1/2 Red Label and 1/2 Green Label for their chai. The theory being that the darjeeling tea in Green Label has superior aroma and fuller flavor, complementing the strong Red Label. Others say to just use Taj tea for the same effect. Yellow Label I never figured out. Red Label is by far the strongest, and for spicy masala chai that works best for me.
If loose black tea is not available, I find Tetley tea bags are the strongest, followed by Red Rose, Salada, and then Lipton which is mildest. These american orange pekoe blends are fermented less than indian black teas. They have a more natural tea taste which doesn't work for strong chai.
My chai recipe: boil 10 oz water with 1 heaping tablespoon of Red Label. Add 1/2 tsp masala and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Turn off heat and add 10 oz hot milk (heated in the microwave). Allow to sit and serve. I don't cook the milk which is different from most chai recipes. I don't care for the flavor of scalded milk, and find that scalded milk is more likely to upset my stomach. This is opposite for many people who MUST scald milk to keep it from upsetting their enzyme-intolerant or whey-intolerant stomach.
So, I recommend Red Label for spicy masala chai.
