I have to be honest, I didn't know anything about Cardamom before buying this tea and as such, I really wasn't sure what to expect flavor wise. I am a big fan of cinnamon and pepper as long as the there is just a hint of pepper and not a really strong pepper flavor. I have been having a lot of problems with inflamation in my stomach. It really doesnt matter what I eat, I get really bloated and have really bad indigestion pretty much every time I eat. I have been seeing a gastroenterologist for a couple years now and they just can't seem to figure out what is wrong. I have had 2 stomach scopes and a colonoscopy and they just can't figure out what is wrong. This all started about 4 years ago when I started having severe gall bladder attacks, which is really similar to passig a kidney stone pain wise, its just the pain is on the front right side just below your rib cage as opposed to being on your backside near your kidneys. I wound up having my gall bladder removed as it was literally 100% full of stones. The surgeon who took out my gall bladder said it was one of the worst he had seen in some time and had I kept it in much longer, he said there is no doubt that it would have gone septic and then I would have been in big trouble.Anyways, I had my gall bladder removed and I did feel better for the first 4-6 weeks after the surgery, but then I started having food intolerances that caused the bloating ad stomach pain and it got worse and worse as time went on. At first I thought it was just my body adjusting to no longer having my gall bladder, but it became clear that wasn't the case. The last couple years have been pretty brutal in regards to my stomach and eating and since the doctors really can't seen to figure out whats wrong, I started looking into various herbs, teas, and pretty much anything else I could find food wise that helps promote a healthy gut and fights inflammation. That is where I heard about Cardamom. Some of the key benefits to Cardamom include gastrointestinal protection, cholesterol control, relief from cardiovascular issues, and improvement of blood circulation in the body. I have also been buying a lot of powders from Kiva for making health smoothies. For those looking for a great company for those kinds of powders, you should really look up Kiva on Amazon. Some of the Kiva powders I have incorporated into my diet include Organic Maqui Berry Powder, Organic Camu Camu Powder, Organic Turmeric Root Powder with Curcumin, Organic Moringa Leaf Powder, Organic Acai Berry Powder, Raw Organic Cacao Powder, and Raw Organic Maca Powder. I am also taking probiotics 3 times a day. While I am still struggling with eating, there has definitely been an improvment since I starting taking my diet extremely seriously and starting using lots of these various herbs and powders. I also started drinking various teas as well and we now have a whole shelf dedicated to all kinds of green and black tea's, but none of them had Cardamom so I decided to try Vandham Teas Original Massala Chai Tea and I am extremely thankful I decided to do so.Since its described as a strong and full-bodied black tea, I really wasnt sure what to expect since I had never tatsed Cardamom before and that is the primary flavor in this tea. It also described as having delicate notes of cinnamon, black pepper and clove, but again Cardamom is the main flavor for this tea and again its described as a full bodied tea so if I wound up disliking the taste of Cardamom, I likely would have hated this tea. Well, to say I was pleasantly surprised would be a massive understatement. I purchased a 3 box pack from Amazon like 4 weeks ago and I am already down to my last few tea bags and just placed a replacement order. It has a fantastic flavor and you can definitely taste a very subtle flavor of pepper and cinnamon. In no time at all Its quickly become one of my absolute favorite teas. Traditionally its prepared with only milk, but I actually drink this a bit differently than suggested. I use a small amount of Wedderspoon's Organic Manuka Honey to help sweeten it up a little and then I use a teaspoon of Vital Proteins Collagen Creamer. So I'm basically still adding a creamer, I'm just not using milk which is again the traditional method of drinking it.For those interested, Vital Proteins Collagen Creamer is a Whole30-approved creamer for tea or coffee that is made from Coconut milk. Its completely free of dairy, soy, carrageenan, gluten, artificial sweeteners, and added sugars. The complete ingredient label includes Organic Coconut Milk Powder, Collagen Peptides, Organic Bamboo Shoot Extract, and Organic Acacia Fiber. That it. The collagen peptides are sourced from grass-fed, pasture-raised bovine and it boasts 9 grams of healthy fat from organic coconut milk powder, which is an excellent source of Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) and lauric acid. The Collagen’s amino acid's provide the building blocks for hair, skin, nails, bones, joints, and other connective tissues. And one of the best aspects for me is that its easily digested and absorbed by the body. Since this review is really for Vandam's Massala Chai Tea and not for Vital Proteins Collagen Creamer, I will simply leave it at that. If Amazon carries Vital Proteins Collagen Creamer, I will write a separate review for that which will go in much more detail about the various amino acids and other health benefits that using that instead of regular milk will give you. I just wanted to explain that I am not drinking this tea in its traditional fashion, but its still become one of my absolute favorite tea's I have tried to date.And most importantly, it really has noticably helped with my stomach, especially in the first hour and a half after I drink it. It definitely has a calming effect on my stomach so Instead of drinking a cup with just 1 tea bag, I have moved to using a larger cup and now use 2 tea bags at a time. I usually just drink it once a day, but there are times where I will have a 2nd serving later in the evening as I have also noticed that this tea has a calming effect on me so if I am having trouble getting to sleep, I will brew up another cup. I actually recommeded this to my mother and gave her like 7-8 bags of tea to take home with her as she has trouble sleeping at night. She usually has to take a Benadryl to get to sleep and she called me about a week after I gave her some samples of this tea and she is also getting a relaxing effect from this tea and its actually helped her get to sleep easier So she had me order 3 boxes for her when I recently placed another order for this tea. In other words, were both 100% sold on this tea now.Bottom line - Vahdam Teas Massala Chai Tea is just a fantastic black tea. It does have a full bodied flavor, but thats a good thing in this case as the flavor is just fantastic. If your not a fan of pepper then you might not like this tea as even tho the pepper flavor is subtle, its still distinctive. I love it as it adds just a perfect mount of bite to it. And according to the directions, while this is traditionally drinken with milk, it can also be drinken straight. Personally, I recommend at least giving the Vital Proteins Collagen Cremaer a try. It makes the tea significantly more healthy. However you wind up drinking this tea, I am confident that most people will absoutely love it if you enjoy black tea's. I know I certainly do. This tea has quickly become a staple to my diet and my stomach really is noticeably better as a result. All in all, this is without question one of the best black tea's I have drinken to date. The only negative thing I can say about this tea is that its not organic, but I am hoping that Vahdam tea's rectifies that problem in the future by offering an organic version. If your a fan of black tea, you really need to give this a try!!5 Stars and then some!!
