Aftelier Perfumes Organic Matcha Chai Tea- A Heavenly Elixir for the Soul!

If you love Ceremonial grade Matcha and also adore Chai Tea, then you will be utterly elated by Mandy Aftel's brilliant interpretation of their marriage. 

Our Organic Matcha Chai Tea is grown under diffused sunlight in Nishio, Japan, where the leaves are then ground into a fine vibrant emerald-green powder. I create our exceptionally delicious green Chai tea by flavoring the naturally creamy and sweet ceremonial-grade organic matcha with Aftelier Chef’s Essences: vanilla absolute from Madagascar, organic cinnamon from Vietnam, organic pimento berry from Jamaica, and organic cardamom from India. 

To make matcha: add a half-teaspoon of matcha powder to a teacup or bowl of boiling-hot water and whisk or stir rapidly until the green powder is totally dissolved with a bit of foam on the top. It is normal for a bit of the powder to remain in the bottom of your cup. 

I have long loved Matcha, and the higher the grade the better. For a time I stopped drinking coffee altogether and drank Matcha exclusively in the mornings. While I once again drink coffee in the mornings, I love nothing more than a lovely cup of Matcha in the afternoons-- slowly sipped in order to relish the taste and sensation. Mandy, in her infinite generosity, thought that I would like her newest creation- so she sent me this lovely gift.

Mandy never compromises on the quality of anything that she makes, and this is certainly true of this beautiful Matcha Chai! Mandy chose very very high quality Ceremonial grade Matcha-- and this makes a huge difference in the taste and the sensory experience of sipping this tea. Mandy's interpretation of Chai is itself a wonder, but when partnered with Matcha it is otherworldly. Chai Tea is most often filled with assertive competing spices, which when done well can be truly extraordinary. That said, few Chai teas are created with the perfect balance of flavors- while remaining subtle enough to  identify the individual spices. This is where Mandy's brilliance is truly seen- her permutation of Chai Tea is more mild in that one can readily identify the constituent elements used (vanilla absolute from Madagascar, organic cinnamon from Vietnam, organic pimento berry from Jamaica, and organic cardamom from India), and these heavenly spices pull back just enough to allow for an enigmatic comingling with the Ceremonial Grade Matcha. The end result is creamy subtly spiced Matcha that is utterly sublime.

For the purist, this Matcha Chai is so flavor-rich and delightful that it needs nothing added- it is utter perfection all by itself.

For those who adhere to traditional methods of Chai drinking- I added some milk.

I personally prefer the flavor unaccompanied by anything other than the tea itself because it is so uncompromisingly high in quality that I think something is lost if anything is added to it since it is itself perfection incarnate. Try it both ways and you will see just what I mean.  This is the perfect elixir for the soul as the weather cools down, but I believe that this treasure should be enjoyed all year long. Aftelier Perfumes Organic Matcha Chai Tea is nothing short of extraordinary, but that is true of everything that Mandy makes!

2.5 grams for $4.00 and 25 grams for $30.00 from Aftelier Perfumes (unaffiliated link). Stock photo courtesy of Aftelier Perfumes.

*This was a gift sent for my use, but it was too extraordinary not to share with you!
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