recipe: chai tea

A friend of mine introduced me to Chai Tea and I'm so glad she did! I'm the kind of person who's not always eager to try new foods but sometimes I'm delightfully surprised when I venture out of my normal tastes.

I normally drink Chai Tea using Tazo's concentrate. You just add milk and a little coffee creamer and you're all set. I've tried tea bags but it takes a lot of doctoring before I'll drink it - I'm still working on getting it just right.

However, I found a recipe from The Kitchn and am very excited to be able to try it! You can also go to The Kitchn's site to read the full recipe.

3/4 cup water
2-4 whole green cardamom pods, smashed
1-2 thin slices fresh ginger
1 1-inch cinnamon stick
1 piece star anise
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons loose black tea leaves
Sweetener, to taste

"In a small saucepan, combine the water, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon stick and star anise. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes until the mixture is fragrant. Add the milk and tea leaves, and simmer for another minute then turn off the heat and let steep for 2 minutes. Pour into a cup through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the leaves and spices. Add sweetener, to taste.

If you want deeply flavorful tea in the morning, follow these alternate directions starting the night before.

In a small saucepan, combine the water, cardamom, cinnamon stick and star anise. Do not add the ginger yet. Bring to a boil then turn it off and cover the pan. In the morning, add the sliced ginger and bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes until the mixture is fragrant. Add the milk and tea leaves, and simmer for another minute then turn off the heat and let steep for 2 minutes. Pour into a cup through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the tea and spices. Add sweetener, to taste."