Rishi Tea's organic Chocolate Mate Chai is an unusual blend of pu-erh, yerba mate, cocoa shells, cacao nibs and various spices. It contains a number of unusual and polarizing ingredients, so I would recommend it to very adventurous tea drinkers who love yerba mate, pu-erh and herbs like dandelion root, licorice root and long pepper rather than to people who are used to traditional masala chai or typical chocolate chai drinks.
Ingredients
This rather bizarre masala chai variation is made of organic Fair Trade pu-erh, organic roasted dandelion root, organic cardamom, organic yerba maté, organic cocoa shells, organic cacao nibs, organic long pepper, organic coconut flakes and organic vanilla beans. It includes several medicinal herbs and love-it-or-hate-it ingredients.
Preparation
Rishi recommends preparing Chocolate Mate Chai as a decoction by boiling it in milk and water. It can also be infused with water and / or milk and served sweetened or unsweetened.
Tasting Notes
I tasted this tea unsweetened, sweetened and sweetened with milk as an infusion, as well as sweetened and unsweetened as a decoction. Each way I tried it, this chai blend had a mildly funky, medicinal taste that was strangely reminiscent of stomach bile. This odd flavor was least apparent when the chai was boiled in milk and water and then blended with sugar, but it still had a sour or "off" flavor.
Outside of this unsettling flavor (which I'm guessing is the long pepper and / or roasted dandelion root), the blend is fairly mellow, with a subtle cocoa flavor and a hint of coconut. Based on its taste, I would not classify it as a chai.
Outside of this unsettling flavor (which I'm guessing is the long pepper and / or roasted dandelion root), the blend is fairly mellow, with a subtle cocoa flavor and a hint of coconut. Based on its taste, I would not classify it as a chai.
Recommendations
If you like the tastes of yerba mate, pu-erh, long pepper, dandelion root and licorice root or you're looking for a medicinal blend, this is a great choice. If you're looking for a chocolate chai, look elsewhere. Chocolate Mate Chai is an experimental blend that's sure to please some, but it is not likely to appeal to a wide range of people.
If you've tried this chai blend, I'd love to hear what you think of it. You can add your own review of it by clicking "write a review" near the top of the page, right next to my 1.5-star rating.
If you've tried this chai blend, I'd love to hear what you think of it. You can add your own review of it by clicking "write a review" near the top of the page, right next to my 1.5-star rating.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
