Fennel Chai

$15.00 USD

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Size Tin - 2.5 oz Refill Bag 8 oz

If the chai you know is the cinnamon-and-clove cup from a cafe, this is the other one: the fennel-forward chai poured in Indian homes, sweeter, cooler, and more aromatic. Whole fennel seeds (saunf), ginger, and green cardamom sit on a malty black tea base for a sweet, gently licorice-like finish behind the ginger warmth. Simmer it on the stove with milk for an after-dinner cup, pour it over oat milk, or serve it iced when the weather turns warm.

We stone-grind our spices fresh in small batches in Portland, from the fennel chai our family makes at home, so the fennel keeps its sweet, aromatic oils instead of tasting like dusty pre-ground powder. That freshness is what carries the cooling, licorice-adjacent note that sets this chai apart from the cinnamon-heavy cafe version.

This chai carries caffeine from its black tea base, so it suits an after-dinner cup better than a late-night one.

Ingredients: black tea, ginger, green cardamom, fennel. No sugar, no preservatives. Vegan.

Common Questions

How do I brew it?

Use one teaspoon of chai per eight ounces of water in a pan and bring it to a rolling boil for two to three minutes. Add whole milk, or the milk of your choice, at a ratio of one part milk to three parts water. Let it boil for another two minutes, then strain, add a sweetener of your choice, and serve.

Is it supposed to taste like licorice?

That sweet, cooling, licorice-adjacent note is the fennel, and it is the point of this chai. If you know fennel from Italian sausage or black jellybeans, meeting it in a sweet, milky cup is a pleasant surprise rather than a mistake.

Why did mine turn bitter?

Boiling the tea too long pulls bitter, woody tannins out of the leaf and spice. Keep the boil to the two-to-three minutes in the brew steps rather than simmering it for twenty. Short and hot keeps the sweet fennel forward.

Does it have caffeine?

Yes. It is built on a black tea base, so it carries caffeine like any black tea. For an evening cup with no caffeine, brew it shorter and lean on the milk, or ask us about a rooibos-based blend.

Is fennel actually traditional in chai?

Yes. While cafe chai leans on cinnamon and clove, fennel-forward chai is the everyday style in many Gujarati and Punjabi homes. Fennel seeds (saunf) are also chewed on their own after a meal, an Indian custom called mukhwas that freshens the palate.

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Ingredients:

Black Tea, Ginger, Green Cardamom, and Fennel Seeds

Brewing Suggestion:

1 tsp per 8 fl oz.

Use one teaspoon of Chai for eight ounces of water in a pan.
212° F for 3 min

Bring water to a rolling boil for two to three minutes
1/4 to 3/4 water

Add whole milk or your choice of milk in the ratio of 1/4 milk to 3/4 water.
2 min

Let it boil for another two minutes.
Strain, add a sweetener of your choice, and serve.

Fennel Chai

$15.00