I love you, chai. I don't love buying you from stores or Starbucks though. People mess you up by masking your flavors with too much flavored syrup. I have discovered how to make you myself, and I cannot stop.
That is an ode to my love for chai. I've found that store-bought chai teabags are bitter. Nobody likes bitter tea. Starbucks is notorious for giving you a cup of sugar syrup flavored with a little bit of chai. Don't get me wrong, I am a Starbucks-aholic. But when it comes to their chai, they fall way short. So I thought to myself, why don't I just make my own chai? Uh hello! Why haven't I been doing this my whole life? You can make it as strong/sweet/peppery/etc. as you like. My brother, Willis, who never takes time to pick out flavors and basically vacuums up food, requested that I make this for him because it is so refreshing. He tried to steal my cup of it this morning as he left the car for school.
I personally like iced chai best. Willis is right. It's refreshing. I usually add a little bit of milk to make it creamy. Here is my recipe:
Iced Chai Tea
4 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. whole cloves
2 Tb. whole peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 Tb. sugar*
4-5 black teabags
*I sometimes substitute the sugar for a squirt of honey or agave nectar depending on what I have on hand, or how I want it to taste that day.
1. In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients besides the teabags.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Remove from heat and add the tea. Cover.
4. Let sit for as long as you want or have time for. It's definitely drinkable after 30 minutes; however, I sometimes put mine on before bed so it'll be ready when I wake up in the morning.
5. If it's still hot/warm, put it into a sealed jar and put into the fridge until it is cold.
6. Pour over ice and add a splash of milk.
Try it. It's so delicious.
No comments:
Post a Comment