Orika Shahi Kahwa Review – Do We Recommend It?

A cold winter night begs for a saffron infused kehwa. If you’re too lazy to brew some on your own, kahwa mixes can be a boon. Some brands go overboard with sugar, while some lack the delicate flavors of cardamom and cinnamon and some put everything in unbalanced quantities.

We tried Orika’s Shahi Kahwa Mix in our test kitchen to see if it’s something we can buy again. Our Orika Shahi Kahwa review is based upon the aroma, warm authentic taste of spices and convenience the product offers.

Tabular information on Orika’s Shahi Kahwa –

What were we looking for in Orika’s Shahi Kahwa? The warmth and fragrance of spices and balanced sweetness. To test the product, we set the following parameters – 

1. Taste 

Kahwa is brewed with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and saffron. All rich and warming spices that help keep the cold away, considering it originates from colder parts of the country. 

We checked for the delicate balance of spices, their domination in the flavor profile and how much sugar is added. Usually kahwa premixes are just about the sugar and nothing else.

2. Aroma 

Robust, delicate or barely there – how is the aroma of the spices added to the kahwa?

3. Convenience

Kahwa mixes eliminate the need to collect and carefully brew the beverage. What about this one? Does it actually help do that?

4. Consistency

Kahwas are supposed to be thin and not thick like a milky tea. It usually has saffron strands and almond bits – does this mix have all of that?

We also considered the price, packaging, and shelf life. 

Related reviews – Aarafh Kehwa | Girnar Kahwa

Price and Packaging

A 50 gm pouch pack is priced at Rs 150/-. This comes in a non-resealable silver-colored pouch pack. 

The shelf life of the product is 9 months. 

Storage instructions include keeping it in a clean, cool and dry place.

Ingredients

The main ingredients include Sugar, Dextrose, Ginger, Fennel, Spice Extract (Cardamom, Cinnamon), Saffron, Green tea extract, Anticaking agent (INS551).

How to make it?

In 160 ml hot water, mix a tablespoon of the shahi kahwa mix. Very easy to make and doesn’t require too much from your pantry. You may need to add some slivered and crushed almonds for a touch of authenticity.

Tasting Notes

How does it look? This white, fine premix powder turned light-yellow once we mixed it in water. The color looks very similar to how natural saffron would turn out to be. We liked that this has no artificial colors. 

Coming to taste and aroma. This has very delicate notes of saffron and has a substantial amount of sugar. Nothing else. The beverage missed out on the complex warmth of spices and any bold notes you expect from a well-brewed kahwa.

We mark it low on convenience too, because it isn’t as tasty and you would definitely need reinforcements to make it more palatable. To amp up you will need a handful of almonds.

Here are some interesting FAQs on Orika Shahi Kahwa.

The delicate aroma and taste of saffron along with the convenience attached is the only saving grace. But, would we recommend it? Maybe not. There are definitely better tasting kahwa premixes out there which offer similar convenience.

Have you tried kahwa before? Do you brew it at home or prefer store-bought? Tell us down below.