masala chai in GTA

[zia]

I'm looking for loose leaf black tea with the chai spices all mixed in. Bulk sources are fine. Bagged teas are a last resort. Specific brands and store suggestions only please!

[zia]

Right now I want one that can go from tin to teapot minus fussing with loose spices. Recipe noted for later though.

[Frank88]

Try Language of the Leaf in GTA. I've tried a lot of chais (backpacked in India as well) and their Bombay Chai is awesome, not too overpowering so you can taste tje good tea - its sold loose leaf as well as in pyramid bags with same tea inside. Tea catalog is downloadable from Languageoftheleaf.com.

[Bordeaux Girl]

Agreed about Language of the Leaf and their Chai - LOVE it. Havn't tried the pyramid bags. LOTL selection isn't huge - about 50 teas, though the lady that runs it says they're adding a number of new teas. Tried a number of samples which were mostly all wonderful.

[zia]

Kitimai also does Earl Grey and maybe Kenyan, don't they? I recall seeing blue and brown foil bags by them. Thanks!

[jcanncuk]

Um, why not just make it. For 4 cups of water add ~4 tsp Darjeeling or Assam tea, 2 pepper corns, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 lightly bruised green cardomon pods, 2 whole cloves. Bring to a boil & then turn off and let steep for 3-4 min. Add milk and honey to taste. Strain. Adjust to your tastes!

[Rabbit]

I found both loose leave tea and masala chai spice at the St. Lawrence market.

Sorry to be unspecific here, but at the tea and coffee shop near the main floor, east side entrance, they sell a masala chai spice mix (bulk). And I get loose, organic asam tea from a vendor on the lower level who, again, specializes in coffee and tea. Neither have the tea and spice mix, so it's two-stop shopping, and you have to do your own blending when you make the tea, but it works. I'm new to masala-chai home production, so I'm still playing with my preferred proportions.

And thanks to CH'ers who helped me source this material earlier this month (I'm also told you can get the goods at Kensington, but I haven't tried).

[river]

re: kensington - I'm pretty sure I've seen Kitimai brand chai at House of Spice on Augusta. They come in dark green foil packages, either loose leaf or in bags.

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

House of Tea on Yonge (near Rosedale station) has a good loose leaf masala chai.
http://www.houseoftea.ca