Frequently asked questions

What is chai?

Chai literally translates to ‘tea’ in Hindi, but is a term that commonly used to refer to ‘masala chai’, also known as ‘mixed spice chai’.

Typically, it consists of black tea with a number of fresh, aromatic spices including cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla beans, cloves, and ginger. Chai spice mixtures have historically been viewed as medicine in India, due to the powerful beneficial properties of the natural compounds it contains.

The Chai Room uses a prized chai spice mix that has been handed down through generations, a guaranteed recipe to comfort, nourish and heal.

Our chai is 100% natural, using premium and organic ingredients, and has a great balance of spice and tea. It is a very easy alternative to coffee and helps stave off sugar cravings. The antioxidants in tea are beneficial and studies have found they can help reduce the risk of cancer.

Chai is good for the body and soul, and The Chai Room is here to share it with you. Enjoy!

 

What are the ingredients in our chai?

We use single estate origin black tea from India and Sri Lanka, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and star anise.

Our special chai blends, including Ginger Masala, and our Turmeric & Raw Honey, and Turmeric & Coconut Nectar, include additional organic ingredients including ginger, turmeric, carob, raw honey, and coconut nectar.

 

If there is no refined sugar, what gives our chai the sweet taste?

The spices in our chai create a complexity and depth of flavour, which means that there is no need to add tonnes of sweeteners.

There is no sugar in the dry blends. The sweetness in the wet blends is naturally occurring from the honey and coconut nectar.

 

Are our chai ingredients organic?

We try to source as many organic ingredients as possible, both locally and imported. All of our ingredients come from reputable sources.

Our organic raw honey comes from Murrimburrah, run by a local family business 'Australian Honey Cellars' which provides straight-line honey sourced from an individual plant to provide distinctive-flavoured honey. It is not heat-treated or processed. 'Australian Honey Cellars' have over 200 hives and 30 different varieties and continually strive to provide new and interesting flavours.

The coconut nectar is imported organic. And the Turmeric & Coconut Nectar Chai is 100% vegan.

 

How much caffeine is in a cup of chai?

Including the chai spices, the caffeine content in our chai is roughly 1/5th of the caffeine contained in a cup of coffee. A normal cup of tea is approx 1/3 the caffeine of coffee. So our chai is overall lower in caffeine.

 

What are the health benefits of turmeric in our chai blends?

The turmeric tea health benefits are enormous!

Turmeric is a great digestive, terrific for the immune system, and the benefits for joint health and reducing inflammation are well documented.

Our Turmeric & Raw Honey Chai and our Turmeric & Coconut Nectar Chai contains a 25% mix of organic herbs and spices, including the turmeric.

 

What is the nutritional benefit of the raw honey in our Turmeric & Raw Honey Chai blend?

Aside from the delicious taste, raw honey is one of nature’s purest foods and its nutrition is impressive. It contains many immune boosting vitamins (including B3, B6, and C), minerals (such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium), and dozens of amino acids, powerful antioxidants, enzymes and polyphenols.

Raw honey also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties – and importantly, it does not cause a sugar spike and elevated insulin release like white sugar.

Commercial honey on the other hand, is heavily processed, filtered, and the excessive heat destroys most of the nutritional benefits. The honey on the supermarket shelves has had all the nutritional benefits stripped away.

In our Turmeric & Raw Honey Chai we use only raw honey proudly sourced from local growers from Murrumbarrah - the honey is totally organic with no heating, no pasteurization, or excessive processing.

 

Why do we have a Coconut Nectar blend?

This blend is suitable for vegans.

Coconut Nectar is produced from coconut palm blossoms and is a great tasting, low GI (35) alternative for people with fructose sensitivities. It is slow release energy.

In addition, Coconut Nectar has a high mineral content. It is a rich source of potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. In addition to this it contains Vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B6.

 

What is the shelf life of our chai?

Our shelf life has been tested - 6 months for the wet blends and 1 year for the dry blends.

 

Does the wet chai blend need to be refrigerated?

Not necessarily, just keep the chai in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight and below 30° C.

 

How do you make a cup of Chai? Is there a quick and easy method?

The Chai Room wants to encourage chai to be a part of your everyday life - nutritious, nourishing and good for the body and soul.

So your daily cup of chai can be as simple as 1 2 3!

All you need is 1) a tea diffuser, 2) boiling water, and 3) a dash of milk - if you desire. And if you feel even more indulgent, had a little bit of honey.

Of course, there is also the traditional method which is explained in our website and involves brewing the chai in a saucepan or pot with boiling water and milk.

You can decide. But really the 123 method is no different to making any other coffee or tea - simple!

 

Can pregnant women drink our chai?

Many women do drink chai during pregnancy especially the ginger blend, as it helps calm nausea and has digestive benefits - however they should check with their medical practitioner.

 

Is our chai gluten free?

Chai is naturally gluten free, and therefore are suitable for coeliacs and those with intolerance to gluten.

 

Where is our chai made?

The Chai Room been established since 2014. Our chai is hand-made in small batches locally (Sydney) in a food safe commercial environment.

 

What is our shipping policy?

Freight is not included in the cost of goods (with exception to the subscription products). 

The available shipping rates The Chai Room offers are: 

Standard shipping - $9.90 (sent via Australia Post with a standard delivery time of 5-10 business days, confirmed with the customer in the checkout cart prior to dispatch.)

Express shipping - $12.90 (sent via Australia Post with an express delivery time of 2 - 4 business days, confirmed with the customer in the checkout cart prior to dispatch.)

Free shipping - We offer FREE shipping for orders over $75.00

When is the best time to drink a cup of Chai?

Anytime!

But we think that our Ginger Masala is great mid morning, our Original Masala is refreshing as a mid afternoon drink, and our Turmeric blends are particularly soothing in the evenings to wind down. But it's really about your individual preference!