Starbucks changed their Chai Tea mix sometime in 2000 I believe, and
their new mixture is not nearly as good as the one they previously
had. I figured that they didn't actually make the Chai mix themselves,
and that there would be a company out there where I can buy the Chai
mix from.

So my question is, where can I find the mix that Starbucks originally
used for their Chai Tea?

Starbuck's is not going to "spill the beans" so to speak on their
suppliers. Unless you were in their shipping department or purchasing,
there is no way to find out who they used.

On the other hand, there are lots of Chai products out there. You
mentioned that you had already tried the Oregon chai. but did you know
that they actually make 7 different concentrates, 2 ready to drink and
2 mixes? Also there is Tazo tea, Sattwa chai and guarana chai. I just
recently returned from India and even there Chai will vary a lot from
shop to shop.

I am sure you will find a mix you like amongst these links. Give it a
try!



Oregon Chai (click on products link):
http://www.oregonchai.com/frameset.cfm


Tazo Teas:
http://store.yahoo.com/cjgo/tazoteas.html



Sattwa Chai:
http://www.mokaman.com/sattwa.htm


This one also has links to other types of Chai. Chai Land:
http://www.chai-land.com/guaranachai.shtml


Good luck with finding that Chai!

---

Request for Answer Clarification by trofmoc-ga on 09 Jul 2002 15:19 PDT

Hi there,

Thanks for you response -- it was informative, but not exactly what I
was asking. If I can't find the exact chai mix that Starbucks used to
use, I would like to find a mix that tastes most similar to what they
used to serv.

I've tried several of Oregon Chai's ready-to-drink mixes, and also the
Tazo Chai mix. None of them are acceptably close to the taste I'm
looking for...

So for clarification, I'm asking -- of the mixes you've sent, is there
one that tastes like Starbucks' old Chai? And if so -- which is it?

Thanks.

---

Clarification of Answer by archamedesii-ga on 14 Jul 2002 22:00 PDT

Taste is a very subjective thing. What I think may taste like one
thing someone else may think tastes completely differently. Like I had
stated earlier Chai varied from place to place but they were all very
similar. What specific taste are you looking for? More cardamom? More
cinnamon? Sweeter? milkier? The only true expert on that subject is
you. Tasting different varieties is the only true way to find what you
are looking for and what you want. I could recommend a specific
product but when you taste it, and it does not match your memory then
you will think I am completely in left field. Any researcher can point
you in the correct direction. What we cannot do is make subjective
decisions for you. Have you tried modifications to the mixes? Try
modifying the base mix to see if you can come closer to what you are
looking for. They list the ingrediants on the package, and I am sure
that you will be able to either find a mix among the suppliers I
listed or modify a mix to meet your needs. Remember it is your tastes
that are important.

I do apologize if this does not meet with your specifications.

Hi, trofmoc.

I can't help you with the Starbuck's recipe (not a 'buck fan) but if
you are interested, I can tell you how to make chai from scratch. 
It's way cheaper, and you can vary the recipe according your mood.

Hi there,

Just to let you know, "chai" actually means tea...so Chai Tea is redundant.

answerguru-ga

There are a lot of Chai mixes you can buy in the store (Well, "health
food" stores anyway).  My favorite is "Oregon Chai" mixed with milk
and steamed.

chromedome: If you had a recipe for chai that tasted almost exactly
like the original Starbucks Chai, that may be an acceptable
solution... but ideally I'd like to find something already prepared,
that tastes like the Starbucks Chai (call me lazy...)

answerguru: thanks :)

bored: The only two Chai mixes that I have tried are Tazo chai and
Oregon chai... but neither are as good as the original Starbucks chai,
imho.

Thanks for the comments so far..

Hello,
I was going through my pantry, found an old box of chai tea bags and
remembered a question a long time ago about Starbuck's chai, pre-Tazo.
I bought the tea from a Starbucks quite a while ago. Anyway, here is
the info on the box:
Infusia - Selected Teas
Chai Spice - A Delicate blend of black teas and aromatic spices
Blended exclusively for Starbucks Coffee Co.
Infusia is a trademark of Starbucks Coffee Company
Product of Sri Lanka

I was never sure if the tea in the box was the same as the mix they
used, and I never even opened the box try it out.  I found this link
regarding the acquisition of Tazo and the discontinuation of Infusia
here http://www.etailersdigest.com/archives/0141.html(I hope this
doesn't mean I've had this unopened box of tea bags since 1999!) The
mention is a little more than half way down the page.

I wish there was better news about finding the original tea. Perhaps
one day I'll sell my four year old neglected box on ebay :-)

-bluesky