TOKYO GREEN DECAF CHAI

If you've never been to Tokyo, it can be difficult to comprehend how big the place is -seriously. The Greater Tokyo Area is home to more than 35 million people, making it the most populous metropolitan area on Earth. What's more amazing is that it is possible to zip past all those 35 million people on a train in only about 45 minutes. We're talking about a city with more people than live in all of Canada packed into a land mass only 4 and a half times the size of New York City. (What's even more amazing is that the city grew that big in only 200 years. By the 18^th century Edo, as Tokyo used to be called, had a population of one million.) To further illustrate the intensity of Tokyo, let's make another comparison, this time in terms of population density - Canada has 3 people / km², the USA has 31 people / km² while Tokyo has 5,847 people / km^{2 .} Wow! Miraculously, the city functions exceptionally well, trains run on time and go everywhere, people are incredibly polite and friendly and there's more to do in a compact area than anywhere else you are ever likely to go.

Now, you may well be asking, what does this have to do with Chai? Well, after a recent visit to Tokyo, our Master Blender decided he wanted to develop tea blend that would capture the excitement and incredible mix of sights and sounds offered by the metropolis. He was stumped however on how to develop a tea that would do justice to the diversity of activities the city had to offer. After numerous attempts, he determined that only a chai, with its multitude of flavors would do the trick. In keeping with the Japanese tradition of drinking green tea, the chai would be based on a Japanese style green tea mixed with ginger, coriander, cardamom and cinnamon. The first iteration of the blend was almost perfect, the spiciness of the components melded with the tea to offer an incredible rush, one that could be topped only by stepping off the train at Shinjuku station, one of Tokyo's largest train stations. (Some 3.7 million people use Shinjuku per day!) As his mind raced, it suddenly occurred to our Master Taster what would make the blend perfect -it needed to be decaf! As a decaf, the spicy blend offered the kind of relaxation one needed after spending a day in such a massive place. We're pleased to offer this amazing blend in honor of one of Tokyo -city of cities! Umai! (That means delicious in Japanese.)

IMPORTANT: Before brewing, turn your bag of Chai upside down a few times - powdered spices in the blend may settle during transport.