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Now, I don’t usually talk about money in these reviews. Primarily because I’m a classy lady and consider talking about finances in mixed company to be unforgivably gauche, obviously. But also because discerning whether particular teas provide value for money is not one of the services I provide here. I am not sure exactly what services I do provide but it’s not that. I spend a ridiculous amount of money on tea. But, you know, I don’t buy designer shoes or fancy handbags or Fabergé eggs so if I want spunk several hundred quid a year on dried leaves, I’d prefer not to be judged for that.
I’m going to make an exception to my not-mentioning-money rule today. Because I want to make a direct comparison between two teas and the cost aspect seems somewhat pertinent.
Tea India Masala Chai is one of my staple always-on-the-tea-shelf teas. Along with Twinings Earl Grey, Twinings Everyday and Yorkshire Tea Biscuit Brew, it forms part of my regular supermarket shop. And it’s a damn fine tea, I can tell you. So much so that when I bought Offblak’s Spice It Up Masala Chai, my reaction on tasting it was “Well, it’s nice but I don’t think it’s any better than my normal chai”.
Now the money part. Spice It Up costs £4.99 for twelve tea bags . Tea India’s Masala Chai is £2.20 for forty. That’s 42p per teabag versus 6p. To represent the same value for money, Offblak’s brew would need to be seven times nicer than its widely available equivalent.
(Using this same metric, Twinings Everyday tea needs to be six times nicer that Sainsbury’s basic tea bags and, you know, I reckon, it is.)
In order to clarify my feelings about the matter, I needed to pit these two chais against one another, mano o mano, cuppa a cuppa. Two steaming hot mugs of tea face each other in the arena, which one will make it out alive? (Given that I drank both of them I guess the answer to that question is neither.)
Following my scientific investigation, I can state that, in my opinion, Tea India does make the better cup of chai. I am in no way disparaging Offblak or their tea-blending talents, they are also responsible for an amazing chocolate & spearmint tea and their The Future Is Pink Rose Earl Grey is my favourite rose-flavoured Earl Grey blend and the one that I would elect to take to a desert island.
Spice It Up is a solid, satisfying spicy brew. A well deserved 4-star tea. The notes of Cinnamon, clove buds, ginger and safflower bring a warmth and spiciness which complement the black tea and warm the tea fancier to the edges of one’s toes on a chilly Spring evening.
It’s just that Tea India’s chai is really really really good. Exceptionally so. And drinking both cups of tea side by side confirms that their tea hits a spot that the other one doesn’t quite manage to reach.
Looking at the ingredients list of both teas side by side one can see that as far as proportions of black tea, cinnamon and ginger go, the two teas are quite well-matched. They do diverge when it comes to clove ratios. And Tea India’s blend also includes anise, cardamom and black pepper in its blend.
I think that the black pepper makes a difference here. It provides a something-I-can’t-place flavour enhancement that lifts the whole experience into something almost magical.
There are plenty of other chai blends to try (and I no doubt will) but for now, Tea India Masala Chai’s place as a stalwart regular in my tea line-up is firmly assured.
