Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A Cup Full of Joy

When you are dieting you have to find food joy where you can.

When bread (the most joyous food of all) is out of the question and so are fat and sugar you have to start looking really hard for another source.

Sure fruit is great and so is a really good salad, but they just don't warm the soul like some of their less healthy cousins.

I've recently found joy in a cup, and it's called Kataluma Chai.


I discovered this little brand of chai on our ski vacation this winter. They have a store in the Denver Mills Mall where I stopped in for a hot drink. The packaging caught my eye even before I tasted the chai. All of their packages have these quirky old black and white photos on them. They are really fun to look at.

Once I got past the adorable packages, I was intrigued by their hundreds of flavors of chai. Not only did I get a venti of Chocolate Covered Strawberry to go, but I also bought a 10 serving package of White Chocolate Raspberry to take home with me.

Delicious! This is REALLY good chai.
I like Celestial Seasonings chai and, up until now, Oregon Chai (in the purple and yellow box from Wal-Mart) has been my favorite. But Kataluma Chai surpasses them both.

Needless to say my 10 serving package didn't last long so I got online to order some more. I was overwhelmed with the number of flavors so I ordered a sampler pack. Three days later I got 20 gift wrapped individual servings of chai.

I got flavors like White Chocolate, Green Tea Chai, Raspberry Truffle, Classic Spiced, Sugar Free Spiced and the piece de resistance......Bourbon Vanilla (which is made with vanilla from a region named Bourbon....just so you don't worry about my drinking habits). They have all been really, really good. They even send along a little package of nutmeg and cinnamon to sprinkle on the top of each cup just like they do in the store.

My only complaint is that the servings are only for a 6 oz. cup. I have to drink my chai out of my little tea cups instead of my big mugs that I usually use for hot drinks. I have been known to combine Chocolate Comfort and Cookies and Cream so that I can have a bigger portion....don't tell.
If you love chai you really ought to try Kataluma Chai. You can order online at anytime.

If you've never tried chai and don't even know what it is you really ought to try Kataluma Chai. The best way I can describe it is kind of like pumpkin pie in a mug or warm eggnog with a little kick. It is spicy and creamy and warm and delicious. Similar to hot chocolate but not exactly.

Just try it. You'll like it.






2 comments:

CZ said...

I love chai and am intrigued. But doesn't it have some sugar?

Cainan & Ryker said...

Yes, chai does have sugar in it but no more than orange juice or other breakfast drinks. I don't drink it everyday and sometimes I count it as my breakfast. I can have a cup for 2 Weight Watchers points.

If I'm really cutting out sugar all together then I brew my own chai from a tea bag like Celestial Seasonings. (Sweet Coconut Thai Chai is my favorite.) I can add Splenda and a dash of milk and have a basically point free cup of chai. It doesn't hold a candle to Kataluma, but it's still good.