Ode to Chai

I haven't yet sent an application to The Food Network, but my primary (actually, only) area of (remote) connoisseurship is that of the chai tea latte. In the past half-dozen years, it's risen from a mere curiosity to my first-choice purchase at a coffeeshop, should they have it . . .

Living on a college dorm floor that was brimming with proud traditions, I was first introduced to chai in a little live music and coffeehouse setting on my floor known as Chai Lounge. It was in raw teabag form, black, hot and homemade, and very disgusting. Still, under peer pressure and wanting to honor my dorm floor's tradition, I forced myself to finish the whole cup.

It was actually because of the working man's need for caffeine that I further acquainted myself with the chai tea latte. With few exceptions, I don't acquire taste, which is why I struggle to gulp all forms of alcohol and coffee (yes, even after working at Starbucks for three years). Nonetheless, I needed a source of caffeine to energize myself for those 4am shifts at Starbucks and to prevent the headaches that would likely follow. Chai tea lattes to the rescue.

I prefer my chais with a complementary flavoring. Cinnamon, caramel and nutmeg help to make the chai concentrate, so additional flavoring would accentuate. Peppermint and toffeenut do well to tag along with chai's little tang, whereas vanilla, hazelnut and white chocolate tend to over-sweeten. Chocolate and coconut are love-it-or-hate-it, and fruit syrups or juice blends have never worked for me.

Stores vary greatly on how many or few options for chai are available. Tea bag? Latte (with tea bag or concentrate)? Blended with ice? Mixed with fruit juice? Unsweetened or only sweetened? I've yet to go to many stores, but I've been to a few. Here are some reviews:

Starbucks arguably has dominated the tea market among chain coffeeshops, primarily due to their business with the popular tea manufacturer, Tazo. Also, being my longtime employer, I've had a lot of exposure to their chai. It seems that the non-resale concentrate Tazo delivers to Starbucks is better than any other chai Tazo produces (e.g. the concentrate available in boxes at Barnes & Noble). It has become my standard for the right balance of sweetness and tang in the taste of a chai tea latte.

Caribou, for those unfamiliar, is growing chain of coffeehouses based in the Minneapolis metro and expanding to the Midwest and West. Their appeal is their more laid-back atmosphere and lodge-themed and serene interior design, contrary to the trend where quiet and peaceful coffeehouses become quick, loud, come-and-go fast-food joints. I find their chai a bit disappointing, however.

Below is a growing list of places where I've had a chai tea latte. Reviews are available upon request, as rare as requests may be. Operators are half-heartedly standing by.

Atrium Tea Room (Sheboygan Falls, WI)
Daydream Cafe (Sheboygan Falls, WI)
American Club place (Kohler, WI)
Weather Center (Sheboygan, WI)
Panera (national chain)
Chocolate Chicken (Egg Harbor, WI)
Brew-Ha-Ha! (regional chain, DE)
South Bend Chocolate Company (South Bend, IN)