The Making of Canada Chai

  1. Why did we create Canada Chai Concentrates?
  2. Why honey and maple syrup are heathier than other sugars?
  3. About Honey
  4. About Certified organic maple syrup
  5. What concerns do we want to address by creating Canada Chai?
  6. Does this mean maple syrup and honey are just as bad as refined sugar?
  7. How did we make Canada Chai, a healthy and natural drink?
  8. Canada Chai Unsweetened versus "not-so-sweet” or “sugar-free”chais?
  9. Unsweetened Canada Chai varieties
  10. Canada Chai Concentrate: Teas and Spices
  11. Other Frequently Asked Questions

 

1. Why did we create Canada Chai Concentrates?

  • The first Canada chai created is the Canada Chai Original which is a concentrated beverage containing tea, spices, vanilla,  honey and maple syrup.   Since then, we have added Canada Chai Unsweetened and Canada Chai Caffeine-Free Unsweetened.

    Canada Chai was created because our customers requested  a healthy chai drink that was less sweet than the ones available in the market : 
     
    Canada Chai is a natural spiced tea using only natural sweeteners as honey and maple syrup  without the additional oils and flavorings. 

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CANADA CHAI ORIGINAL: THE SWEETENERS

2. Why honey and maple syrup are healthier than other sugars?

  • Note:
    If you have to choose between honey, maple syrup and other sugars, always, always, choose honey or maple syrup. They are natural and healthier sweeteners for your body.

  • Replacing refined sugar with natural sweeteners, and using them in moderation, is the best way to lose weight, maintain health and avoid disease.

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3. HONEY:
THANK YOU FOR THOSE TIRELESS BEES....

  • Is tasty to the tongue and it's good for your health.

  • Has two dozen beneficial natural sugars and is easy digestible.

  • Honey is twice as sweet as refined sugar.
  • Bees have predigested the sugar we get in honey, which changes it to simple sugars (fructose and dextrose) that are easier to digest.

  • Honey is good for you.  And today, medical researchers are confirming what previous generations have always known - having honey in your diet can help you stay healthy and fight disease.

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Honey is a natural source of vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids

  • Honey contains up to 35 percent protein and contains half of all the amino acids.

  • Honey is a highly concentrated source of many nutrients including enzymes, minerals and vitamins B-complex, C, D, and E.

  • Honey comes from natural plant nectars and contains vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic and certain amino acids.  It’s also a source of essential minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.   While the amounts are in trace levels and will vary depending on the floral source, honey can be an important and delicious part of a healthy diet.
  • Honey gives you quick energy to keep you going: a natural mixture of the simple sugars glucose and fructose, honey can play an important role in naturally preventing fatigue during exercise.

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Stay healthy with the antioxidant benefits in honey

  • Honey is loaded with water-soluble antioxidants.

  • Medical researchers continue to find out more about the important role antioxidants like those in honey play in eliminating harmful free radicals from the human body.   Free radicals are believed to be created during metabolism and may contribute to many serious diseases.

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Honey that heals

  • Honey is an effective, natural antimicrobial that inhibits the growth of certain bacteria, yeast and molds and can help scarring.   The secret?  Honey’s unique combination of high sugar content (which limits the amount of water available to the microorganism for growth), high acidity (which creates a low pH environment) and naturally occurring antioxidants will kills bacteria. 

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Help the environment with honey.
(Source:  Western Canadian Beekepers. Winnipeg, April 2006)

  • Celebrate the arrival of spring by being good to yourself and to Mother Earth. Every time you choose 100% pure Canadian Honey, you are also helping Canadian farmers and the environment.

  • Apples, cranberries, blueberries, cucumbers and melons are among the horticulture crops grown in Canada that depend on honeybees for pollination.  When bees travel from flower to flower collecting the nectar that is converted to honey, they are also picking up pollen grains that they transfer between plants.

  • An increasing number of native plants and trees depend on honeybees as wild pollinators disappear from the environment.

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4. Certified organic maple syrup:
GIFT FROM THE INDIANS

100% PURE | 100% NATURAL | 100% CERTIFIED ORGANIC.

  • No preservatives, allergenic agents or GMO.

  • Derived from tree sap:  the production of a single litre of syrup requires boiling down 30 to 45 litres of maple sap.

  • Is fat free. Moreover, maple syrup contains fewer calories than refined white sugar.

  • Is loaded with high beneficial minerals: potassium, calcium and magnesium which are essentials elements for maintining good health.

  • THE SUGAR MAPLE TREE CAN LIVE UP TO 250 YEARS.  IT TAKES A MAPLE TREE 40 YEARS TO BE READY FOR PRODUCTION.

  • The 100% pure Canadian maple syrup is the only sweetener containing three important and essential minerals from Mother nature:  potassium, calcium  and magnesium.

  • It takes a lot of sap to make one small bottle of syrup, but it’s worth it: approximately 45 litres of sap will make one litre of maple syrup.

  • Each spring, in Quebec and Eastern Canada, sap starts to flow from the maple sugar trees, a broad-leaved tree largely found in these regions, under very specific weather conditions, that is, at temperatures between  -4ºC (24ºF) and +4ºC (40ºF).

  • Maple Syrup Producers tap maple trees to gather the sap and then boil it.

  • No processing or adding any preservatives, only boiling.

  • This flavour, unlike any other, is due to the syrup’s high mineral content, mainly potassium, calcium and magnesium, which are essential elements for maintaining good health.

  • No  other sweetener has such nutritional value!

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5. What concerns do we want to address by creating Canada Chai Original?

  • Wheter you consume 100g of refined sugar or 100g of maple syrup or 100g of honey, in the end they will all be converted to 100 g of sugar (from the refined sugar) in your body, or to 66 g of sugar (from maple syrup) in your body or 83 g of sugar (from honey) in your body. 

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6. Does this mean maple syrup and honey are just as bad as refined sugar?

  • No, maple syrup is a source of potassium, calcium and magnesium; honey is a source of B6, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.  While refined sugar is packed with empty calories.

  • But since your body can only deal with so much sugar at one time, if you consume too much, it can easily wreak havoc on your delicate hormonal balance.  Highly processed carbs that raise blood sugar levels come from foods or beverages that are high on the glycemic index.  Foods or beverages low on the glycemic index are always your best choices.  Lower glycemic  foods and  beverages have been shown to reduce the risk of obesity and many chronic disease.

  • The main concern for VitalyTeas is to create natural and healthy drinks that will give the consumers better choices in preserving their health.

  • VitalyTeas wanted to create a beverage that may become the beverage of choice for the people who need to reduce their sugar intake ( Diabetics, those watching the carbohydrates and fat intakes, chemical and food sensitive people).

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7. How did we make Canada Chai Original, a healthy and natural drink?

First Step

  • VitalyTeas had to select the best natural sweeteners for the Canada Chain Original.

  • We did a nutrition information comparison between cane sugar, maple syrup, honey, corn syrup and fructose.  This is what we have found per 100 G serving:

  • Nutrition information of maple syrup and honey versus other sugars
    (serving:100 G: Source: Eastern Canadian Maple Syrup Producers, 2002)

Serving: per 100 G

Maple Syrup

Honey

Cane Sugar

Corn Syrup

Fructose

Energy (kg)

1,053

1,490

1,590

1,270

1,568

Energy (calories)

252

356

380

304

375

Carbohydrates

6

83

100

76

100

Sugars (g)

66

83

100

76

100

Glycemic Index

Slow

Slow

Rapid

Rapid

Slow

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Second Step

  • We set the criterias to select the sweeteners that are the most appropriate for the Canada Chai Original.
     
  • We were looking for a sweetener with these requirements:  a slow glycemic index, a level of sugar and carbohydrates content between 6-85,  and calories between 250-360    per 100 G serving.

Slow Glycemic Index

Sugars (g)
between 6-85

Carbohydrates
between 6-85

Calories
between 250-360

Maple Syrup
Honey
Fructose

Maple Syrup: 66 g
Honey:  83 g
Corn Syrup: 76 g

Maple Syrup: 6 g
Honey: 83 g
Corn Syrup: 76 g

Maple Syrup: 252
Honey: 356
Corn Syrup: 304
  • We eliminated Fructose because of its high sugar, carbohydrates and calories contents.

  • We eliminated Corn syrup because of its rapid gycemic index.

  • We didn’t consider cane sugar because of its rapid gycemic index, and high sugar, carbohydrates and calories contents.
  • VitalyTeas decided to use maple syrup and honey as sweetener for the Canada Chai Original.

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8. Canada Chai Unsweetened versus "not-so-sweet” or “sugar-free”chais?

  • We decided to stay away from “sugarless”  or "sugar-free" artificial sweeteners and let the consumers decide on their own way to sweeten their drink.  Our customers know the best, what they want as sweeteners in their chai.

  • We decided to let them ADD THEIR OWN SWEETENER!

  • Our market research shows those who prefer unsweetened chai are really looking for a chai with no artificial additives nor sweeteners.

  • And those who are drinking the “not-so-sweet” or “sugarless” chai still find it too sweet with an artificial after-taste.
  • Why? Using saccharin, aspartame, or other sugar substitutes does not work well with chai because these artificial sweeteners leave a decidedly bitter aftertaste.

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9. Unsweetened Canada Chai varieties:
 Add Your Own Sweetener!

  • Canada Chai Unsweetened

  • Canada Chai Caffeine-Free Unsweetened.
  • Using spices and vanilla in the unsweetened Canada Chai varieties, add a complex flavor profile, and the milk will create a rich taste that will more than compensate for sweetening.

As delicious as the Original Chai, Unsweetened Chais are for those who want to :

  • add their own sweetener,

  • prefer no sweetener,

  • are counting the calories,

  • are diabetics or
  • are already too sweet and don't need sweeteners to make them more sweet....

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10. Canada Chai Concentrate: Teas and Spices.

A. The Tea: Certified Organic 2nd flush Assam black tea

  • Canada Chai contains certified organic 2nd flush Assam black tea  which are the best leaves picked during the last week of May through the first two weeks of June.

  • Assam tea is from Assam, a major growing area covering the Brahmaputra valley, from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengals.

  • The fresh brew tea in the Canada Chai is a source of antioxidants called flavonoids, which have shown in the literature to offer some protection against cancer and heart disease. These natural compounds are released into the concentrate through contact with boiling water.

  • Our trusted supplier of Certified Organic 2nd flush Assam black tea, is the North America's first tea company to join ETP ( Ethical Tea Partnership), an organization whose mission statement is: "working for a responsible tea industry".

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B. The Spices: We give you the gift of whole, high premiun quality natural exotic spices.

  • our fresh spices are healthful for everyone and whole spices offer the chai lover fresher taste.

  • the best in high premium quality all -natural whole spices: grinding them fresh is critical to capturing the essence of Canada Chai's drama.

  • certified organic fresh ginger: I can't imagine anything more wonderful than fresh ginger in tea; ground ginger is so , well, blah.

  • pure  vanilla extract, because the synthetic vanilla has an unpleasant aftertaste that can spoil the chai

  • The ayurvedic benefits listed below are not to be considered absolutes in the treatment of any illness.  Should you have concerns about any symptoms, please see your medical practitioner; do not attempt to treat yourself with any herbs or spices without professional supervision.

  • The spices and herbs used in  our tea blends and Canada Chai are healthful for everyone. A pregnant or lactating woman, however, should seek counsel before making any herbal infusion or using an excess of any spice that could overstimulate to her system.

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