There are, as far as I’m concerned, only two types of masala chai.
- The milky stuff they brew on the side of the road in massive pots in India. Just boiling tea leaves in milk, with spices and sugar, turning and turning with a big ladle. Then they serve it up in cute little cups. Costs like 20 cents. The perfect start to the day. Or end to the day. Or a wee break at literally any time of day.
- A handmade brew done by this one guy at the Forodhani Night Market on the island of Zanzibar. Made with a handful of this, a dash of that. Cardamom, cinnamon, and a little bit of je ne sais quois. I literally ne sais quois – that guy was a legend, happy to show us his method, his ingredients, we wrote it all down but I. Can. Not. Reproduce. His. Results.
Safe to say that this Trade Aid Masala Chai is not one of the above.
I don’t necessarily blame Trade Aid. You can’t bundle up the essence of some guy from India or Zanzibar and package it to serve in little bags in Aotearoa.
It’s all sais quois, you see. It’s written right there on the box. In order to package and sell something in a regulated supermarket, you need to know what’s inside it. The process of commodifying necessarily eliminates the something something that makes it really something.
It’s also pretty bland, which there isn’t really an excuse for. Dried spices are shelf stable.
You’ve got to give kudos to Trade Aid for their mission. It’s all about ethical supply, with a focus on making sure farmers get paid well, and you get organic, nasty-free foods in your mouth. I do love that. I considered bumping it up to three stars for ethical value. But sadly I’m unwilling to compromise my integrity as a self-proclaimed tea reviewer.
