David Rio Super Blends: Tumeric Latte (Instant Dry Mix)

SuperBlends is David Rio's new, all-organic product line. This award-winning Turmeric Latte is a product developed and tested in "The Chai Lab" at David Rio's Chai Bar in San Francisco. Combining turmeric with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, the Turmeric Latte tastes excellent on its own, as well as pairs exceptionally well with David Rio's Tiger Spice Chai, to create a "Turmeric Chai Latte." Comes in a 19.8-ounce standup pouch yielding 93 servings.

Ingredients: Organic spice blend (tumeric, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, cayenne), cane sugar.

Attributes: Organic, No Hydrogenated Oils, No Trans Fats, Gluten Free, Vegan, Non-Dairly.

Type: Instant Dry Powdered Mix

Recommended Ratio: 1.5 tsp per 8oz milk or milk substitue.

Additional Information: David Rio supports animal welfare groups including Cat Tales Zoological Park and The Peninnsula Human Society & SPCA. Back in 1999, to commemorate Tiger Spice Chai, they even adopted a Bengal tiger, named Odin. David Rio encourages everyone to make a difference in the life of an animal by supporting animal welfare groups and either adopting from or volunteering at your local Humane Society or SPCA. On an annual basis, David Rio is reducing its carbon emissions impact by over 25 tons and has removed over 30 tons of garbage from the waste stream--an integral part of David Rio's mission of becoming a green company.

TASTE-O-METER Rating:

"Seriously? Tumeric Latte? Sure, I like Indian food; I like curry. Tumeric in proportion, fine. But not as a standout spice to feature, up and above all others! Have they lost their minds??? Despite my own opinion that this titling is a marketing blunder, I was found the drink pleasantly surprising. It's a muted quality of tumeric that doesn't overpower. And the sweetness, like with all David Rio's Super Blends, is also on the subtle side. Personally, as a chai fan, I like their suggestion to mix it with Tiger Spice. Or, if you fancy yourself more of a purist, try mixing it with the Masala SuperBlend. That combo will really knock you back. All in all, Tumeric is quite a nice addition to the product line, despite my initial prejudice to the contrary. The moral of the story: You know what they say about 'contempt prior to investigation;' don't knock it 'till you've tried it! if you are on the hunt for a new angle in your chai quest, this just might be the addition you are searching for."

--Troy, the chai-tasting guy