I just came home from Whole Foods, and every time I go there I must take a trip down the tea aisle.  I don’t know why – I have a very well stocked tea cabinet – but no trip to the market seems complete to me without checking out what’s new in the tea section.

Well, today, what caught my eye was this tin of Gingerbread Chai.  I admit it; I was lured in by the packaging.  It doesn’t happen often, but I do collect tins, so occasionally, a tin will strike my fancy and I don’t even take time to check out what I’m buying.  And this tin was so cute with the gingerbread man, I just couldn’t resist it!  Fortunately, there is some really good tea in this tin!  Even though this tea is touted as a holiday tea, it smells and tastes like autumn to me.

The aroma reminds me of a freshly baked gingersnap cookie, heavy on the ginger.  I could also detect hints of apple, cinnamon and cardamom in the scent.  And … wow!  It is really yummy!

For me, this tea tastes less like “gingerbread” than it does hot apple cider that’s been simmering in mulling spice.  Perhaps that is why I love it so much – if there is one drink that I like almost as much as tea, it would be hot, spiced apple cider, especially this time of year.  The ginger, the cinnamon, the cloves… so warming, so comforting, so delicious!

Don’t get me wrong.  The flavor from the apple here is not particularly strong; it does not overwhelm the blend.  It’s the spices (with particular emphasis on the ginger) that are the primary focus in this tea.  However, the apple flavor is just strong enough so that it provides an adequate base, along with the rooibos, to highlight the warm flavors of the ginger and spices.  The finish has a sharp, spicy note with a sweet, juicy apple undertone.

Zhena’s Gypsy Tea describes this chai as

A Gingerbread House Party
Warm up the holidays with a festive steeping cup of cheer. The fanciest one of a kind limited signature blend is a wonderful way to share the hope, spirit and joy of the season. Celebrate friends and loved ones with this naturally caffeine-free rooibos, artfully adorned with flavorful sweet crisp apples, ginger and the traditional spicy depth of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and clove.

What I really like about this particular tea is that because it is a rooibos blend, I can steep it for a longer period of time without worrying about bitterness.  And that is just what this tea needs!  I followed the instructions and steeped it for 4 minutes, but found that the flavor lacked the impact that the fragrance delivered, so I doubled up on the steeping time, and found that this really improved the flavor greatly.  Also if you have a particularly large tea cup or mug that you’re using to steep the tea, you should double up on the tea bags as well.  Trust me, it will be worth it!

This tea is so very perfect for a day just like today – it’s very cold with rains that occasionally turn into hail.  But, inside, I’m curled up, warm and content, with a cup of this amazing chai tea.