Blog
Cardamom
Cardamom is a healthy spice that comes from the Elettaria plant. It was first cultivated in South India. The Greeks saw opportunity in Cardamom too. The Greeks thought powerfully of Cardamom, the Greek doctors Hippocrates and Dioscorides wrote about the great health benefits of Cardamom, distributing it as a digestive aid. Cardamom is normally sold in pods or leaves, the pods contain little black seeds that carry an aromatic smell. The health benefits of cardamom are tremendous:
- It has cancer fighting compounds.
- It is a natural anti-inflammatory drug.
- It can cure stomach ulcers and other digestive problems.
- It counters bad breath and cavities.
- It increases lung power.
There are so many different helpful effects of cardamom that I could go on for months reading them. Cardamom is best enjoyed as lightly crushed pods in your Chai/tea brew or lightly sprinkle in your curries and desserts.
Sources:
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice that is made from tree bark. Cinnamon comes from a tree called Ceylon cinnamon. This sweet spice can be put on food and drinks, like tea & curries. Cinnamon has shown to lower blood sugar levels and also known too help with lowering cholesterol. It is also suggested that cinnamon helps with heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Cancer, HIV, Infection, Tooth decay, and allergies (WebMD). Ancient scriptures have accounts of cinnamon being used as an health supplement as well as concocted with other ingredients in traditional medicine. Cinnamon is naturally grown in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar (Burma). All harvested and sold in the modern era as cinnamon, are native to Vietnam, Indonesia and other southeast Asian countries with warm climates. Cinnamon is a healthy thing to put in your tea at the end of the day.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon
https://www.webmd.com/diet/supplement-guide-cinnamon
5 Health Benefits of Ginger
Ginger is a common spice that is used all over the world. The naturally occurring components of ginger have long known to be effective in curing common ailments such as nausea, muscle pain and oral health. Apart from these benefits, recent studies have shown that the components can control certain bacteria, thus aiding in controlling probability of contracting an infection. Make it a way of life to include ginger in your diet and enjoy these health benefits.
1. Antibacterial property that helps keep bacteria from growing and helping the oral health
2. Decreases nausea (Morning sickness) by reducing built-up of the gases in stomach and also relieves indigestion
3. Helps with lowering muscle pain
4. Anti-inflammatory properties of ginger helps with Arthritis
5. Helps with maintenance of blood sugar level and lower cholesterol
Source: www.webmd.com
Nutritional info
Bold Masala Chai Concentrate
Lavender Vanilla Chai Concentrate
Blissful Rose Chai Concentrate
Bold Masala Chai Latte
Lavender Vanilla Chai Latte
Where can I get Aahaa Chai?
Please meet us at one of the Farmers Markets given below
most of them at Saturdays ~ 8 am- 12:30 pm Try free samples, explore our loose leaf chai varieties/ enjoy a cup to drink
Bloomington Community Farmer Market @ Bloomington Town Hall, 401 N Morton Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47401 April – November
Carmel Farmers Market on Center Green near the Center for Performing Arts May- September
Zionsville Farmers Market, Zionsville, Indiana. May – September
Binford Farmers Market, Indianapolis, Indiana May-September
Near North Farmers Market, Indianapolis, Indiana. June-September
Market wagon (online farmers market), Indianapolis Indiana – ALL YEAR LONG
Eskenazi Health Farmers Market, Indianapolis Tuesdays 11 am – 1 pm, May-September
Bloomington Winter Farmers Market, Bloomington, Indiana December – March
Carmel Winter Farmers Market, Carmel, Indiana. October – March
Indy Food Co-op (online store)
You can also buy our Loose leaf chai bags at
Noble Coffee and Tea, Noblesville, Indiana
BloomingFoods Co-Op in Bloomington Indiana
Coffee shops/Cafes/markets that serve Aahaa Chai
(made with Aahaa Chai’s Chai concentrates or Aahaa Chai’s Ready to drink vegan chai lattes)
Goose the Market in Downtown Indianapolis
Wildwood market, Downtown Indianapolis
Arties on Central, Indianapolis
Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee, Indianapolis
Foundry Provisions, Indianapolis
Commissary Coffee, Indianapolis
IU north Hospital, Carmel, Indiana
Bistro East, Community Hospital East, Indiana
Market Place & Cafe Soleil, Eskenazi Health, Indianapolis
Hopscotch Coffee, Dodds Street in Bloomington, Indiana
Hopscotch Coffee, Morton Street in Bloomington, Indiana
The Pourhouse Cafe in Bloomington, Indiana
The Chocolate Moose -Brown County in Nashville, Indiana
The Chocolate Moose, Bloomington, Indiana
Crumble Coffee and Bakery, College Avenue, Bloomington, IN
Crumble Coffee and Bakery, Piazza Drive, Bloomington, IN
Cup and kettle Tea shop, Bloomington, IN
Needmore Coffee Roasters, Bloomington, IN
Feta Kitchen and Cafe, Bloomington
Switchyard Brewery, Bloomington
Indiana member memorial Union, Bloomington, Indiana
West baden bagel bistro, West baden springs, Indiana
Main street Coffee, Spencer, Indiana
The River City Coffee Co in Evansville, Indiana
Honeymoon Coffee Co, Evansville, IN
Coppermoon coffee, Lafayatte, Indiana
Main and Madison market cafe, Franklin, Indiana
The general deli and cafe, Southbend, Indiana
Maple City Market, Goshen, Indiana
Noble Coffee and Tea, Noblesville, Indiana
Wheelers Market, Atlanta, Indiana
Aroma Cafe , Indianapolis, IN
Mocha nut Coffee Shop, Indianapolis, IN
…… and many more to come!
Rose and Valentine’s day
Blissful Rose Chai
Rose is a symbol of love and beauty since ancient times. The fragrance and beauty combined in this wonder flower has inspired people both spiritually and romantically. Fragrance was an important feature of flowers that made it invaluable during the pre-industrialization era when deodorants and soaps were almost non existent and open sewers were every where! Currently, Rose is single most flower preferred to be gifted during the Valentine’s day – Wonder why? Of course one reason is beauty and historical connotation, the other is marketing- It’s the most resilient flower that can withstand the long journey from other tropical and temperate climates where it is grown, to reach United States during the winter time – So its designed to be The Flower!!
Facts apart- We crafted a Chai Blend that encompasses the fragrance of rose petals and calendula (marigold) combined with flavors from Cacao nibs and mild spices. Enjoy this smooth Chai with your valentine by the fireplace!
As always we use organic ingredients for our blends and we prepare them in small batches!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Tumeric – Are you getting all of it?
One of my previous posts talks about turmeric and its health benefits. The primary component of turmeric, Curcurmin, has been associated with several health benefits study after study. However, we shouldn’t fail ask if the turmeric we ingest is taken up by our body (bioavailability)? Turmeric by it self is poorly soluble in water and not absorbed by our body. Scientists have devised several ways to make the turmeric be absorbed by our body – using approved chemical methods. Nevertheless, there are natural ways to absorb curcurmin into our body.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
One of the study found that there is a 2000% increase in the uptake when you take piperine (key component in pepper) along with turmeric.
One other reason why curcurmin is not soluble in water is because it’s made of lipophilic (fat-loving) chemical groups that renders it to be fat soluble. This property of curcurmin makes it easily solubilized by milk that contains fats. The fat molecules in milk can help carry the curcurmin through the intestine in to the blood.
Another way to extract the curcurmin is to saute the turmeric in warm oil and make it bioavailable.
Our Maharani’s Bold Masala Chai contains turmeric and pepper, which is winning combination for bioavailablity. Adding milk and heating (actually boiling in our case) makes it even more accessible.
The next time when take a sip of our BOLD MASALA CHAI be confident that all of that tumeric actually been absorbed!!! or follow the above instructions to get the full potential!
Enjoy Chai!
PS: Health benefits from spices doesn’t have an overnight effect, long term usage as a part of your daily routine is essential to reap all the health benefits.
More info at: http://www.healthylivingbase.com/must-read-ever-using-turmeric
How to Make Aahaa Chai
1. To prepare one cup of chai add 8-10 oz of water in a bowl and start heating it.
2. Add 1-1.5tsp of Aahaa Chai to the bowl and boil it for 5 min. (for electric stoves – make sure the water boils for 2-3 minutes)
3. Now add 1 tbsp. of milk and let it boil for a minute more.
4. Now add sugar (1-1.5 tbsp.) or honey and stir it.
5. Filter the Chai and Enjoy Aahaa Chai!
Frequently Asked Questions
• Why do we need to boil the chai blend?
Aahaa Chai blend is made of all natural ingredients, so it is important to boil it a little longer than usual to extract all the flavors, nutrients and minerals embedded in the spices.
• What kind of milk is preferred?
Since we use only a tbsp. for our preparations we prefer to use whole milk. Whole milk has the right amount of creaminess to extract all the flavors in the spices and minimal amount of calories (9 calories per tbsp of whole milk)
• What kind of sugar to use?
We prefer using brown sugar for our preparations. Brown sugar has a unique flavor to it and a little bit more minerals that add flavor to the chai.
• Why does my chai taste very mild?
Since our Chai blends are hand crafted and blended in small batches the ingredients sometimes have the tendency to settle down with small particles at the bottom. So we recommend mixing the blend every time you scoop. Also, depending the stove you use the heating can vary quite a bit, so we recommend boiling for longer duration to increase the spiciness of the Chai.
