£12.60
Inspired by Scotland’s past traditions and multicultural present, Crofter’s Chai combines the spice of the orient and the scent of Hebridean peat smoke, in a symbiosis of flavours which unites far East with far West.
Sweeten with sugar or honey to taste. You may also want to add fresh ginger.
Le sùil air ar n-eachdraidh ‘s sùil eile air Alba ioma-chultarail an latha an-diugh tha Seaidh a’ Chroiteir a’ fighe ri chèile spìosraidhean an oirthir ‘s fàileadh ceò na mòna airson blasan an ear ‘s an iar a thoirt còmhla.
Mìlsichibh le mil no siucair a-rèir ur toil fhèin. Faodar dinnsear ùr a chur ris ma thogras sibh.
Crofter’s Chai is a smoked tea variant on our house best-seller, Yogi Yogi Chai:
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Crofter’s Chai is full-bodied delight, offering a pleasant smokiness reminiscent of cosy evenings in front of an open fire, complemented by a complex spiciness that would be at home in any of the Scottish Asian community’s wonderful restaurants. It is therefore a true fusion of flavours, blending traditional and modern elements of Scottish culture, to create something new and unique.
In a nod towards some of the inspiration behind its taste profile – the peated whiskies of the Isle of Islay, as well as a good whiff of an open fire – Crofter’s Chai has fully bilingual packaging in English and Scottish Gaelic (read more about this below).
For the name, we looked to the traditional dwellings of the Highlanders and Islanders, who spent many centuries, right up until relatively recently, living in crofting communities – small farming villages with a communal ethos, from which countless songs and stories have sprung.
And so, Crofter’s Chai was born!
Health
Crofter’s Chai is made using Lapsang Souchong black tea. Like other black teas, it is chock-full of polyphenols and antioxidants, which research suggests can help combat a number of conditions, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and cardiovascular disease. They are also said to improve brain function, reduce cholesterol and help weight loss. Additionally, it contains theobromine, which assists kidney function, and a range of vitamins and minerals which help improve skin health. Its medium-high caffeine content also helps reduce stress and improve mental clarity.
If you’ve heard of concerns about the smoke levels in some varieties of Lapsang Souchong resulting in them being banned, you’ve no need to worry. The tea we use conforms to European health standards and is certified safe to drink.
As well as this tasty Taiwanese tea speciality, our Crofter’s Chai also contains a variety of whole spices, each of which adds to the blend’s health-giving properties.
We use direct sourced Sri Lankan “true cinnamon” (Cinnamomum verum), which contains beta-carotene, a provitamin that helps in the production of vitamin A, helping keep your eyes healthy; manganese, which assists with hormonal management and bone repair, as well as having antioxidant properties; and vitamin K, potassium, zinc and magnesium. Additionally, cinnamaldehyde, the active ingredient of cinnamon, has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, and some recent research even seems to suggest it can help fight neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, by inhibiting the build-up of a protein called tau in the brain.
We also direct source our high quality Keralan green cardamom pods. Cardamom is said to lower blood pressure, have antibacterial effects, improve the performance of cancer-killing cells in the body, help combat digestive problems including ulcers, and have a similar set of anti-inflammatory properties to the aforementioned ingredients. Taking account of its other healthy spices like black peppercorns, cloves, ginger and chilli, it’s clear to see that Crofter’s Chai is a health bomb, as well as a tasty tipple.
Crofter’s Chai & the Gaelic Language
For our Crofter’s Chai labelling, we decided to pay tribute to the living language of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, by creating fully bilingual English and Scottish Gaelic packaging.
Gaelic was once the dominant language of much of Scotland, but has gradually been pushed to the fringes, so that the most recent census indicated there are only around 70,000 speakers remaining, with many native speakers of advanced years. It is classed as an endangered minority language.
It was important for us not just to pay lip service to the language, so we enlisted the help of renowned Gaelic consultant and old friend of the Tchai-Ovna, Àdhamh Ó Broin, to make sure we got our translations correct and complete. As he explained:
“Gaels were some of the first people to suffer what has been described as internal colonialism within the British Isles, whether in Scotland, Ireland or the Isle of Man. Their Gaelic language was subjected to a sustained and thorough extirpation, which has resulted in its present day consignment to the western fringes. In Highland Scotland, the cultural devastation for Gaels which followed on from the failed Jacobite Risings, Clearances and the 1872 Education Act was termed “ethnocide” by native scholar Iain MacAonghais.”
We are therefore proud to honour Gaelic culture and language with our bilingual packaging, a small contribution towards ongoing efforts to keep alive this beautiful, lyrical tongue.
| Weight | 75 g |
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