Organic Masala Chai

Turmeric is a pungent Asian spice with a fascinating heritage. The fleshy root of the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa) is dried and ground to produce a finely powdered spice with a lustrous golden colour. As well as being an essential ingredient in Indian curries, turmeric also plays an important role in traditional Ayurvedic philosophy.

One of the most notable compounds found in turmeric is curcumin. As well as giving turmeric its saffron colouring, curcumin is extracted from turmeric root and sold as a popular dietary supplement. Curcumin is even more effective when combined with black pepper. To boost the bioavailability of the curcumin in our Taka Turmeric products, many of our recipes feature a pinch of black pepper.

It wasn’t easy to find the perfect black tea for our Masala Chai tea recipe. After tasting and rejecting a wide range of Assam teas, we finally settled on Black Tea Nam Lanh.

Cultivated by traditional, indigenous growers in Vietnam’s Yen Bai province, Nam Lanh tea comes with impressive environmental credentials. As well as having organic certification, Nam Lanh tea is grown as a sustainable alternative to the industrial development that threatens the region’s ancient rainforest.

Black Tea Nam Lanh has the malty body of a traditional Assam tea, without the harsh tannins that can clash with subtle spices. 

In our Taka Turmeric tea recipes, we use 100% organic Ceylon cinnamon. This sustainably grown spice is made from rolled quills of Cinnamomum verum bark. Cultivated mainly in Indonesia, this true form of cinnamon is famous for its delectable aroma and flavour.

Apart from being one of the foundation spices of Indian cooking, cardamom is an essential spice in almost all masala chai (spiced tea) recipes.

The flavour of cardamom is almost indescribable – certainly potent, with notes of spicy citrus. Cardamom works best when blended with other spices. In India, a prepared spice mix called garam masala gives curries their incredibly addictive flavour. To create garam masala, cardamom is blended with cloves, cinnamon, mace, cumin and other aromatic spices.

Try a cup of our delicately spiced Masala Chai to experience the flavour sensation of expertly blended organic cardamom.

Coconut palms thrive along India's tropical coastlines, where they've been a cornerstone of daily life and cooking for generations. The desiccated coconut we use comes from organically grown coconuts, grated and gently dried to preserve their natural sweetness and creamy character.

The best desiccated coconut has a subtle, milky sweetness and a delicate texture that adds a lovely depth to herbal blends. It brings a gentle creaminess to the cup, softening the earthy notes of turmeric and creating a naturally smooth, rounded flavour.

Coconut is naturally caffeine-free and contains natural oils that help your body absorb turmeric's beneficial compounds more effectively. Its mild, comforting flavour makes it a beautiful pairing with warming spices, adding a touch of tropical sweetness to every sip.

There are various types of pepper which can be used to add warming flavours to foodstuffs and drinks. In our Taka tea recipes, we use the crushed, dried corns of Piper nigrum.

The hot, spicy flavour of black pepper comes from a natural compound called piperine. As well as making our spiced teas deliciously moreish and stimulating, piperine also has a special digestive synergy with turmeric.

Along with turmeric, our signature ingredient, you’ll often find a warming pinch of black pepper in many of our Taka spiced tea recipes.

According to ‘Culpeper’s Complete Herbal’, an early English encyclopaedia of healing herbs, fennel is, “… an herb of Mercury, and under Virgo, and therefore bears antipathy to Pisces.”

We’re not sure what all that means, but we do know that fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) adds a subtle hint of aniseed to some of our most deliciously spiced Taka Turmeric teas!

A relative of the humble carrot, fennel has a much more exotic flavour. As well as being an important ingredient in Indian and Middle Eastern cookery, fennel also pops-up in scrumptious salads throughout Europe.

Cloves have been treasured in India for thousands of years, where they've played a central role in both traditional cooking and Ayurvedic practices. The cloves we use are organically grown in India's tropical regions, hand-picked as unopened flower buds and sun-dried to concentrate their warm, aromatic oils.

The best cloves have a rich, intensely warming flavour with sweet and slightly peppery notes. Just a touch brings depth and complexity to herbal blends, creating a comforting warmth that pairs beautifully with the golden earthiness of turmeric and the sweetness of cinnamon.

Cloves are naturally caffeine-free and have been traditionally valued for their soothing, warming properties. Their bold, aromatic character makes them a lovely addition to chai-inspired blends, adding a gentle heat and depth that lingers long after the last sip.