Wintriest of Winters

For many people in the Boston area, 2018 isn’t off to the greatest start, certainly weather-wise. We’ve had the longest stretch of consecutive days under 20 degrees in literally a century. Factoring in the wind chill, the temperature was often at or below zero degrees, day after day after day. Just going outside to pick up the mail feels like preparing to go skiing: you need your gloves, you need your hat, you need your long johns and your hand warmers. It’s not just the Boston area – it’s practically the whole country. Charleston, South Carolina got down to 19 degrees! Niagara Falls basically froze over! Just as it seemed to be warming up just a little bit (a 27 degree day felt like the first day of spring!), we got hit with a blizzard so intense it was somewhat terrifyingly called a “bomb cyclone.” Not only did the bomb cyclone drop over a foot of snow all across the region, it brought in another Arctic blast lasting several days. In this wintriest of winters, it seems we can’t catch a break.

Our chai gets stuck in the snow

SAD

Life can be a little gloomy when winter is this ferocious and relentless. Suddenly the planet seems hostile, like it’s putting up all its defenses because it really doesn’t want you there. Stuck inside, the temperature never seems quite right: either the artificial heat is blasting and you feel too hot, or the heater isn’t working quite right and a horrible draft seeps in. Either way you’re likely to get sick. So what to do? How to avoid cabin fever with a sprinkling of Seasonal Affective Disorder – the dreaded SAD of winter – when the deck seems so record-breakingly stacked against us? At the Boston Chai Party, we certainly aren’t mental health professionals, but we do have a humble suggestion that we’re pretty confident will move you in the right direction. You guessed it: chai tea!

CHAI TO THE RESCUE!

For centuries, it’s been well-established that traditional chai masala tea – the kind that we make at Boston Chai Party – is beneficial to the mind and body, and now science is backing that up. Its potent combination of spices have been shown to improve digestion, enhance the immune system, reduce inflammation, lower the risk of cancer, produce healthy bones, etc. The list goes on and on. In addition to helping our bodies, it also helps our minds. The nutmeg present in the tea has been shown to interact with serotonin and dopamine, two feel-good hormones, producing a noticeable antidepressive effect.

OUR CHAI

Boston Chai Party tea is unique because it’s cold and bottled, so it’s great for people on the go. It’s the perfect drink for summer. But let’s be honest: it’s anything but summer right now.  So to really beat the winter blues, we here at BCP suggest slowing down, curling up inside, grabbing a seat by the window, and creating a nice little moment for yourself. Enjoy the good things about winter instead of complaining about the bad, all while enjoying a nice cup of tea. Step one: find the perfect spot by a window. Somewhere you can look out at the snowy, wintry expanse in front of you. Too often, we’re so fixated on the inconveniences caused by this bitter cold that we forget to notice just how absolutely stunning it can look – from a safe, warm distance. Get in a comfortable chair. Put on a sweater. Find somewhere you can really observe the unique brightness of winter light. Optional step two: prepare a nice meal to go with your chai. If you look up good recipes that go with chai, you’ll find many different treats that pair nicely with chai. Boston Chai Party tea tends to go well with just about anything, but it goes especially well with desserts. I like to pair it with a nice scone. Better yet, if you can find a crumpet anywhere, get that. Step three: the best step. Simply soak in the moment. Pour the tea into a nice mug. Drink it slowly. Let the subtle spices in the back give you warmth. Feel them helping your body and your mind. Chai tea goes well with scones and crumpets, but it can also pair very nicely with winter. Give yourself a little chai winter moment as often as you can during our time on the North Pole, and next thing you know, it will be spring. Once everything is in bloom, the chai gets even better.