Lauren’s Kitchen: My Chai

Way back when I used to serve this luscious tea every morning in my office. Times have changed by the tried and true recipe remains the same.  I hope it warms you from head to toe.

Ingredients:

Fresh Organic Ginger Root
Whole Organic Spices: Star of Anise, Black Pepper Corns, Cardamom Pods, Cloves, Stick of Cinnamon
Organic Loose Tea (1 heaping T) or Tea Bags (2): Darjeeling or Sencha (with caffeine) / Tulsi or Rooibos (without caffeine)
Local Honey
Unsweetened Organic Plant Based Milk

In a 3 quart pan add the following amounts:
6-8 thin slices from the unpeeled Ginger Root
1 Star of Anise or 1/2 tea of Anise seeds
6 Black Pepper Corns
8 Cardamom Pods
10 Cloves
1 Stick of Cinnamon
2.5 quarts of water

Bring the water to boil, reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer a minimum of 20 minutes. Return to boil again, add plant based milk and tea, turn off heat and let set for tea to brew 5-10 minutes depending on your choice of tea.

Black Tea: 5-7 minutes
Green Tea: 5 minutes
Tulsi or Rooibos: 10 minutes

Strain tea and spices out with a mesh sieve and add honey to taste. If storing, pour into glass jars, cool on the counter before placing in the refrigerator.  I use nearly a 1 to 1 ratio of milk to tea. I favor using a blend of half almond and half coconut milk  Each type of plant-based milk will lend a different quality, so test out a few to determine your preference. I also favor Tulsi tea because of its medicinal qualities but feel free to experiment and find your own favorite. Enjoy!