Sticky & Sweet (or less sweet, in this case)

There is a perception that Chai is drunk by health fanatics for those mystical healing properties of spice. If you are one of these health fanatics, then power on - you have our respect. But really, most Chai drinkers drink it simply because good Chai is bloody delicious. That is our approach when it comes to recipe development. We put flavour first.

Which brings us to the subject of sugar. We know that sugar is bad for us, and many people are looking to reduce the amount of sugar they consume, which is great. And then there are those who just don’t like sweet things (to each their own, I guess, you animal).

It is for these people that we developed our Less Sweet Blend. It contains 50% of the added Leatherwood Honey of our original Sticky Chai Blend, which makes, it, well... half as sweet.

So why don’t we cut out the honey altogether? Well, if we did, it wouldn’t be a “Sticky” Chai Blend now, would it?

The rationale for adding a liquid sweetener like honey to a blend are to maintain consistency, maximise flavour, and convenience. If there wasn’t any honey holding the spices and tea together, the smaller particles of spice would settle to the bottom of the bag. This would mean that the Chai you prepare when you first open the bag would be far less spicy than your final cup. And trust us, that last cup prepared using the bits accumulated at the bottom of the bag can be pretty “powerful” (and not in a good way).

The honey also emulsifies with the volatile oils extracted from the spices when they are roasted, thereby locking them in and preventing them from going acrid. It acts as a natural preservative. This way, you aren’t missing out on this incredible layer of flavour.

Finally, it just means that there’s one less item you’ll have to reach for when you prepare a nice warm cup of Chai.

Our Less Sweet Blend contains so little honey it’s barely sticky, but it does what it’s supposed to do - hold everything together, lock in flavour, and perfectly sweeten your drink. And for those of you who are mad at us for putting any form of sugar in our Chai at all, just remember that The Chai Villain’s focus is on creating a product that:

• tastes delicious
• supports environmental sustainability
• supports ethical hiring practices and working conditions in vulnerable communities, and
• transforms the Australian public’s perceptions of Chai

 If that is important to you, as it is for us, give our Less Sweet Blend a try.