Chai tea is a marvel in our world. In India it was originally made simply with spices and milk but it was the British who introduced the black tea to chai making. The recipes are many indeed depending on the region and the tradition of the chaiwala (the tea maker and seller).
When I first traveled to India, oh, some 20 years ago chaiwalas served chai in small clay pots. I think I just wanted to taste what was in those small cups. Indians make their chai very sweet and it is easy to become addicted to your daily or twice daily chai.
There are in fact quite a lot of benefits to chai drinking. The cinnamon in chai may prevent high blood pressure and can help to balance your blood sugar. It is therefore excellent for reducing weight. Black tea also helps to lower blood pressure and blood sugar.
Cardamom is an anti-oxidant and can also lower blood pressure. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and can help with your digestion. It can also help to balance blood sugar.
And then there is Ginger! What can’t it do? It can help with nausea, menstrual cramps, migraines, helps with muscle pains, is beneficial for diabetics for its effect on the blood sugar, it can help with fatty liver and help with weight reduction. It is basically your miracle spice.
I like to add a tiny bit of turmeric, a pinch will do because it has anti-inflammatory properties and I am a bit of a golden milk kind of girl.
Vanilla is great for taste, but vanilla is actually great for the respiratory system, so it is an important spice to add to your diet at this time.
Ingredients
2 x black tea bags (rooibos tea if caffeine is not your thing)
1 x cinnamon stick
3 x pods of cardamom (use the seeds inside the pods)
2 x slices of fresh ginger
pinch of turmeric )optional)
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract or a pinch of vanilla powder
1 tsp of raw honey (more to taste)
2 cups of raw milk or milk of your choice
In a saucepan, heat the milk and add all the spices. Don’t boil the milk. Add the tea bags and turn the heat off. Strain the tea into two cups and add the honey. Honey really is best consumed raw so you want to be careful not to cook it.
Enjoy.
