Author: Michelle

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DavidsTea’s Maple Chai

Maple Chai by DavidsTea
Black Tea / Flavoured
$8.98 for 50g

First Impressions

I got Maple Chai samples from my local DavidsTea locations as part of their sneak peek to promote the new chai blends (I might have made a few purchases…). So I decided I should probably give them a try especially since so many people were talking about this blend online. Each sample is 5g and good for one cup. There’s no mention on the packaging directly that I can find about it being compostable or recyclable, which is unfortunate.

Maple Chai has a great aroma to it. I can pick out the ginger, cinnamon, apple, brown sugar, and cardamom. It’s really inviting with all the warm spices in it. It’s a pretty dry leaf, but I don’t really smell the maple in it which I find to be disappointing given the name of the blend. Maple Chai consists of: black tea, apple, ginger, brown sugar, roasted chicory root, orange peel, cinnamon, maple sugar, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, natural and artificial flavourings.

Preparation

DavidsTea recommends steeping Maple Chai in 95°C (200°F) water for 3 to 5 minutes. I opted to do a 4 minute steep.

First Taste

Maple Chai steeps to a golden orange colour. There’s a pleasant aroma, but I don’t smell the maple. I do smell the warm spices in the blend – primarily ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. It has a nice sweetness, a nice robust flavour behind it that I believe to be from the black tea. The brown sugar comes through nicely, and goes well with the spices. It’s a smooth tea, no bitterness when steeped for 4 minutes.

I did attempt Maple Chai as a latte, and found that it was greatly improved – I also used maple syrup as sweetener to get some maple flavouring in there.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Maple Chai twice, adding an additional 30 seconds for each subsequent steep. I found that the flavour didn’t really improve, resulting in a weaker tea each time. I would suggest steeping Maple Chai for just the initial steep.

My Overall Impression

I  thought that DavidsTea’s Maple Chai was just okay. There was a lot of hype about this black tea blend, so I was quite eager to try it – it was great that it was available to shoppers in the retail shops. I do hope that DavidsTea continues to give out sneak peek samples, because it’s a great way to create hype about a new blend that they’re proud of. While I liked Maple Chai as a chai, I was disappointed that there wasn’t more maple flavouring in the tea because that was the part of the name that I thought should have been better reflected in the flavour. Definitely try this one as a latte though, and maybe use maple syrup as a sweetener, as it works nicely as a latte despite not having a lot of maple syrup by itself.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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Whisk Premium Matcha’s Everyday

Everyday by Whisk Premium Matcha
Green Tea (Matcha) / Straight
$25.00 for 30g

First Impressions

Everyday was a purchase from the Vancouver Tea Festival, and I somehow haven’t talked about it yet (!). It was the matcha that was ‘on tap’ at their table for samples, and I loved it so much that I ended up buying a bag to take home. And honestly, at that point the idea of whisking it up at home gave me a sense of anxiety because it’s a) not an inexpensive matcha, and b) what did I know about whisking matcha anyways? Nevertheless, I’ve gained some whisking experience since then and here we are.

Everyday is a first harvest matcha, it comes in a sealed, resealable pouch with some information on the front and the back of the packaging. Everyday is described as being a first harvest matcha that comes from family-run tea farms in Uji, Kyoto, Japan. This is a 100% pure organic matcha. The powder itself is a nice bright, spring green colour. I find it has a bit of a light grassy aroma to it.

Preparation

If you need any matcha preparation tips, Whisk Premium Matcha provides information on their website that I find to be highly informative. (I also go through it a bit on One More Steep as well, but in less technical detail.)

I sifted 2 teaspoons worth of Everyday into my matcha bowl and poured in 175°F (79°C) water. I whisked it using a bamboo whisk, using a W motion back and forth until a thin layer of bubbles frothed up on top.

First Taste

Everyday whisks up to a light green layer of bubbles, followed by a dark, almost hunter-green matcha. I found the aroma to be grassy and floral. The flavour was a pleasant mix of umami, grassy, and vegetal notes that remind me of asparagus. There is a slight bitterness to it, but I don’t find it off-putting because it balances well against the other flavour notes.

A Second Cup?

No second cups because matcha is a suspension.

My Overall Impression

I loved Whisk Premium Matcha’s Everyday. I can definitely see why it’s a fan favourite. Everyday has a lovely flavour profile in an affordable matcha while coming from organic farming practices that Kimmy (the owner of Whisk Premium Matcha) can trace back to specific family-run tea farms. I quite enjoy it, and I’ve also had this matcha both straight and mixed up in a latte (which was also delicious, and a great way to temper down the bitterness if you’re not fond of that aspect of matcha).

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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Easy Chia Seed Jam

I’m a big fan of easy recipes so when I tell you that this is easy, I mean it! You can make some delicious fruity jam in 10 minutes or less (not including cooling time). And if berries aren’t in season where you are, have no fear because frozen works just as well! I make this year round and it goes great on scones, English muffins, paired with your favourite nut butter, or just on a spoon. After all, if you’re setting the table for afternoon tea – you’re going to have some jam to go with those Lemon & Cranberry or Pumpkin Spice Scones, right?

My Easy Chia Seed Jam is lower in sugar than traditional jams, which makes it also friendly for those looking to cut down on sugar – plus all those chia seeds are an added boost of omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, iron and calcium! If you’ve ever made a chia pudding before, you’ll know that chia seeds thicken things up! That’s what makes this jam more jam-like than fruit juice – give it a bit of time to work, and it’ll thicken up!

Easy Chia Seed Jam – Makes 1½ cups

2 cups berries (fresh or frozen)¹
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons sweetener²

¹ I used a frozen berry mix for the Easy Chia Seed Jam featured in the photos (strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry).

² I typically use agave syrup (unflavoured) or maple syrup, but you can opt to use honey or simple syrup (1:1 ration of sugar and water). If you want to keep this jam vegan friendly, then avoid using honey.

Throw in the berries into a saucepan and put it on medium to high heat.
As the juices start to come out, break up the berries with a potato masher.
Once your mashed berries start bubbling, add chia seeds and sweetener.
Turn off heat, stir until evenly mixed.
Allow to cool and then transfer into an air-tight container.

This Easy Chia Seed Jam will keep in the fridge for up to a week, but in my experience it doesn’t last that long. Please note, because of the low sugar content (as well as the lack of pectin) this is not a canned jam or preserve. You do need to keep it in the fridge and use it within a week (if you make a big batch, you can freeze it for later).

If you make this Easy Chia Seed Jam, I’d love to see your photos! Be sure to tag me on Instagram (@onemoresteep #onemoresteep) or comment below with a link to the photo!