The smith of the gods Vulcan (also known as Hephaestus) found his home in the bowels of Mount Ætna, pounding away at the anvils and toiling over his forge to make only the best weapons, armor, and trinkets for the gods high above on Mount Olympus. We here at Phoenix Pearl Tea believe Vulcan got the short end of the stick, getting locked in a mountain like that, so we forged a tea we felt worthy of his name.
Our traditional masala spices are blended into a non-traditional masala chai with a blended base of mixed-vintage Chinese shu pu-erh and a Malawian black tea from Satemwa Estate picked during the monsoon season, leaving the flavors of rain trapped in the leaves. The rainfall flavor explodes from the leaf with the heat added by extra cinnamon, extra pepper, and powdered Ancho and California chili peppers. Sure to give a pleasant burn, we think the god's smith would have approved of this smooth, pleasantly spicy blend.
Vulcan's Forge — Spicy Masala Chai
- Use 14g (≈1½ tbsp) of leaf per ½ liter (≈17 oz).
- Steep 2 minutes in ¼ liter (≈8 oz) boiling (100°C/212°C) water
- Add ¼ liter (≈8 oz) hot milk (we recommend whole milk), steep another 3 minutes.
- Strain leaves, add sugar if you like (1 tsp is what we suggest), and enjoy!
