Dammann Frères Enveloped Tea Bags - Chai

Tasting Notes of the Curator

Dammann Frères Chaï begins with the deep, structured character of Rwandan black tea. The base is bold and full-bodied, carrying dark malty notes, gentle woodiness, and enough tannic strength to support an abundance of warming spices. It gives the infusion a satisfying weight, ensuring that the blend remains unmistakably tea rather than becoming merely a spiced tisane.

Ginger arrives first with a bright, warming heat that awakens the palate without becoming fiery. Cinnamon follows with a softer sweetness, bringing the comforting impression of baked spice and warm pastry. Cardamom adds its distinctive aromatic freshness, at once citrusy, floral, and lightly resinous.

Clove deepens the blend with a darker, more concentrated spice note, while pink peppercorn contributes a subtle peppery lift and a delicate fruitiness. Together, the spices unfold gradually rather than competing for attention. The cup begins warm and fragrant, grows richer through the middle, and finishes with lingering notes of ginger, clove, and black tea.

Enjoyed plain, the tea feels brisk and invigorating. With milk, its tannins soften and the sweeter qualities of cinnamon and cardamom become more pronounced. Each Cristal® sachet is individually enveloped to preserve the spices’ aroma and make a consistently comforting cup easy to prepare wherever the day requires warmth.

Brewing and Pairing Suggestions

Steep one sachet in water heated to approximately 90°C for 4–5 minutes. Remove the sachet before serving. Enjoy it plain for a stronger, brisker expression, or add warm milk and sugar or honey for a smoother, more indulgent cup.

For a café-style chai latte, brew the sachet in a smaller quantity of water, then top with hot or frothed milk.

Breakfast pastries: Serve with croissants, cinnamon rolls, brioche, or buttered toast.

Spiced cakes: Pair with carrot cake, gingerbread, banana bread, or apple cake.

Chocolate desserts: Its warming spices complement brownies, dark chocolate cake, and chocolate truffles.

Indian-inspired sweets: Enjoy with gulab jamun, barfi, ladoo, or cardamom biscuits.

Fruit desserts: Pair with baked apples, poached pears, date cake, or plum tart.

Savoury snacks: Serve with samosas, spiced nuts, pakoras, or mature cheddar.

It may also be served chilled. Brew slightly stronger, sweeten while warm, then chill and pour over ice with milk for a refreshing iced chai.

A Chai Shaped by Rwanda

Chaï simply means tea in several languages, yet beyond its linguistic roots, the word has become widely associated with black tea brewed alongside fragrant spices, milk, and sugar. There is no single definitive recipe. The combination changes from household to household and from one tea-growing region to another.

For its version, Dammann Frères looks toward Rwanda’s green, rolling tea landscapes. Rwandan black tea is prized for its strength and full-bodied character, making it a natural partner for spices that might overwhelm a more delicate tea.

Ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, pink peppercorn, and clove create a blend that is warming but carefully composed. The African tea base provides depth and structure, while the spices introduce sweetness, heat, freshness, and perfume in turn.

The result reflects chai as a living tradition rather than a rigid formula. It can be brewed simply with water, softened generously with milk, sweetened to taste, or poured over ice. However it is served, it remains a tea made for warmth, conversation, and the deeply civilised pleasure of taking one more cup.

Storage Instructions

Keep each tea bag sealed inside its individual envelope until ready to brew. Store the box in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, heat, humidity, and strongly scented foods or spices. Handle the sachets only with clean, dry hands.