Chai Kai reached out to me last month to ask if I’d like to review some teas. After doing a little research about their company, I was excited to sample some. You can learn more about the U.K. tea company in the Q&A at the end of this blog, but first I’m going to review one of the three teas they sent me — their earl grey loose leaf.
Something I really liked about Chai Kai’s earl grey is how floral it is (as well as how beautiful it is to look at). I’ve had lots of earl grey teas, but never before one that had jasmine blossoms and safflower. And if you know me, you know about my love for jasmine and floral teas, so when I saw this, I was really excited to try it.
Ingredients: Sri Lankan black tea, Jasmine Blossom, Safflower, Natural Bergamot Flavouring.
To prepare their earl grey, steep with boiling water for three minutes. I drank this without milk, but you can add the milk of your choice if needed.
This tea is very fragrant and aromatic. The bergamot and citrus tastes are still very present in the tea like in your typical earl grey, but jasmine and safflower bring a softer floral flavor. It also balances out the strong black tea really well.
I really enjoyed this tea’s floral properties. The jasmine blossoms add a soft and smooth taste to the blend, and mix well with the citrusy black tea. The bergamot is not overpowering or bitter, and balances out with the floral essences, making this a nice take on the traditional earl grey tea.
Get to know Chai Kai
Q: Give me some background about the company. How long has ChaiKai Tea been around, and how did it get started?
A: Our blog should provide a comprehensive background to our story.
Q: What are your most popular teas? Special flavors?
A: Vanilla Chai is our best selling tea. Just seems to fly out. closely followed by Mango & Lime. Our latest new blends – Turmeric Root Chai and Coconut Rose has been a massive hit. Our caffeine free herbal infusions like lemongrass and Ginger, Peppermint and Cardamom are also hugely popular.
Q. Recently you partnered with Make Lunch, a charity that makes sure children are fed even when school is out. Why did this seem like a good fit and why is this something important to ChaiKai?
A. Gratitude is a daily practice for the Chai Kai family so we like to work with lesser known charities each year to help raise awareness of the good work they do.
MakeLunch struck a chord as we have become first time parents and it was sad to find out that for some children, when schools close, they miss out on their only chance of a hot meal. I also had no idea how much of an issue it is 😦
Q. Where do you find inspiration for your blends?
A. My husband and I are from a South Asian heritage. It’s such a distinct and colourful culture, we have fond memories and stories, as well as traditions and practices that inspires our blends and gives each an individual character. Hence why we have a limited, exclusive bespoke collection as each tea blend is carefully crafted with care.
Q. Where does your passion for tea come from?
A. For me it all started with too many all nighters from my student days, I was strung out on coffee and looking for an alternative. I enjoyed the relaxing, tranquil effects of tea and then soon after discovered green tea. I fell in love with green tea and so began my obsession and adventure with teas. After travels to places like China, Sri Lanka and Africa, I was hooked on high quality loose leaf tea and tea rituals. I pretty much became addicted to tea and couldn’t find a mug big enough! Then I met my husband, budding tea merchant and our chaikai journey began.
lifesacupoftea.com 
Thank you for your review. I look forward to the forthcoming tea reviews.