Bhakti Chai
My latest Healthy Discovery is turning into my daily treat-obsession, it is called Bhakti Chai.
Chai is a type of tea that originated in India. It is generally made up of: black tea, milk, a combination of various spices and sweetener. I like Chai and often order it when I’m in a coffee shop. Different companies also sell Chai Tea in grocery stores. You can find Chai in tea bags, loose tea, or concentrate. Depending on the spice blend, sugar content and type of milk (whole, skim, rice, soy) they can all taste dramatically different.
A couple weeks ago I was in a coffee shop in Boulder called The Cup. As I was reading the menu, written on a big chalkboard behind the counter, I saw Bhakti Chai among the choices. I didn’t know what it was, but since it had Chai in the name I decided to give it a try.
Oh my goodness. This was the most amazing Chai I have ever had! Bhakti Chai is a mouth watering blend of fresh-pressed ginger juice, cardamom, fennel, cloves, black tea and a pinch of pepper. It was heavenly. I’ve never tasted a Chai quite like it. I assumed The Cup made this special blend since it was on their menu. For the past month I’ve been finding more and more reasons to go to Boulder just so I could swing by The Cup and drink Bhakti Chai. If driving 30 miles for tea isn’t a testament to how good this stuff is, I don’t know what is.
Last week I walked to my neighborhood coffee shop on a whim. I hadn’t been to City O’ City for awhile because The Cup was getting all my attention. I like City O’ City, they make gluten-free baked goods and I was in the mood for a gluten-free muffin. While reading their chalkboard menu over the cash register guess what I saw? Bhakti! Chai! Tea! Apparently I could have walked five blocks for Bhakti Chai instead of driving 30 miles…oops.
The City O’ City menu board also listed the Bhakti Chai website. I immediately typed the address into Google and found this long list of coffee shops and stores across Colorado that carry Bhakti Chai. I was obviously excited to discover this list. If you live in Colorado you have to try some Bhakti Chai next time you’re in one of these establishments.
If you don’t live in Colorado, don’t worry I already placed a phone call on your behalf. I called Bhakti Chai and I spoke with Brook. Brook is the owner and creator of the yummy Bhakti Chai, you can read her story. I told Brook I was working on this blog post and a lot of my readers don’t live in Colorado. She told me to tell you (out of state readers) that she will begin a mail order for her Chai around the holidays. Keep checking her website for details.
Bhakti Chai is another Colorado food and beverage company that is going to hit the big time. Last night I was wandering the juice and tea aisle of my local Whole Foods Market. One of the employees said to me,
WF Employee: “Are you finding everything you need?”
ME: “Um actually no, do you have Bhakti Chai?”
WF Employee: “Not, yeeet.”
ME: “Oh, you sound like you’ve been asked this question a lot. Are people requesting it?”
WF Employee: “Yes! and I personally love it. I can not wait until we start carrying it. We are just waiting to get on their distribution route, we should have it this week!”
Ask your coffee shop and grocery store to start carrying Bhakti Chai, it is a mouth watering Healthy Discovery delight!
i am also obsessed with bhakti chai! i’m a boulder native and i just moved to east boulder where they have a coffee shop called Ozo near 55th and arapahoe, and i tried the bhakti chai one day when i was there for a work meeting–and i have been addicted ever since! when i first ordered it i asked them how sweet it was, because the chai tea they serve at starbuck’s, pete’s, etc. is usually too sweet for me, and they said that have an unsweetened version that they could either mix with the sweetened version or serve alone. i went with the mix, or as they call it a “rainbow bhakti”, and it was just the perfect amount of sweetness! i’ve been to other coffee shops and natural food stores around boulder looking for the same concoction, but they only carry the sweetened version. i definitely recommend you try a “rainbow bhakti” at Ozo coffee if you are looking for a less sweet (and spicier) version. however, the regular kind isn’t too bad because it is sweetened with organic cane sugar. just another reason to love boulder!
Lauren- Thank you so much for the info! I myself have wondered about the sugar content, as that’s something I care a great deal about. I just got some original Bhakti Chai at a Whole Foods in Denver and there were nutrition facts printed on the jar (first time I’ve seen this). It said 15 g per 1/2 cup – kinda high! So I’m very happy to hear about the rainbow bhakti option! I didn’t know that was available, thanks so much for sharing!