Chai Tea... spicy, sweet and absolutely wonderful!

At  a gorgeous spa I used to go to in Kuala Lumpur, I had the honour of tasting this delicious, warm and wonderful drink for the very first time. They kindly gave me their Chai recipe. I have slightly adapted the spice and sweetness level and I have found the perfect recipe for my palate.

When I returned back home, I integrated Chai Tea into my routine. I drink it as a cure once or twice a month, although Asians traditionally consume it on a daily basis with friends and family and even serve it as an accompaniment to food. I sometimes add miniature cakes, like this gorgeous plate.

There are many ways to make Chai. The way that I learned and that I make Chai is relatively easy; I place all the ingredients in a saucepan with cold water and let the mixture come to a slow boil and turn a beautiful, rich colour. Then, I turn off the heat and add loose leaf tea. I strain the tea before serving.

You can use tea bags instead; allow it to brew for a few minutes (typically 3-5 minutes for black tea). Remove the tea bags. When ready, add three tablespoons of milk and stir to mix it. Pour into a cup; you can decorate with a cinnamon stick.

What makes the Chai Tea so special is all the balanced blend of cloves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and black pepper...Here is my mixture, but feel free to change to suit your palate!

Ingredients (makes 3-4 mugs):

1 litre of water

2 teaspoons loose tea leaves (I use Earl Grey) or 2 black tea bags

1 cinnamon stick (plus an optional one for decoration)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon finely ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon fresh ginger

1 tablespoon cane sugar

3 tablespoons milk

The history of Chai, from a book.

“Chai is traditionally a spicy, sweet, milky tea mixed with cardamom, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and ginger. “Marsala Chai”, literally translated from Hindu, means “spiced tea”. The refreshing and healing power of these herbs is said to calm the mind and nurture the spirit. The Chai tradition originated during colonial India. The British introduced the Indians to the idea of adding milk to tea and the Indians took the practice a step further by blending spices with milky tea…and along came Chai.”