Maybe I’m just weird but I like all of the drinks that are supposed to be hot–cold. Coffee to me tastes best when combined with cold milk; I prefer iced tea over hot tea (unless I’m sick), and hot chocolate is good but frozen hot chocolate is divine. Consequently, I also think of summer time as the time to make tea. These two recipes are technically more infusions rather than true tea because they use spices rather than tea leaves for flavor. But whatever you want to call it–they’re yummy!
Spiced Chai
3 cups rice milk, plain or vanilla flavored
3 cups water
1/3 cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
2 tablespoons black tea leaves
1 two-inch or longer cinnamon stick
1 ginger small root peeled and cubed
2 whole cloves
4 cardamom seeds
8 whole black peppercorns
2 whole allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mix the milk, water, sweetener, and tea leaves in a saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture boils, turn off the heat and add all the spices. You do not have to wrap the seeds up. Cover the pan and allow the tea and spices to steep for fifteen minutes. Remove the cover, stir, and heat again to a boil. As soon as it reaches a rolling boil, remove from the heat. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer or sieve into a teapot or pitcher. Put the tea in the fridge and serve chilled. I’m partial to a little whipped cream and nutmeg on top!
Variations:
Coconut-Vanilla Chai: Use the milk from one coconut plus skim or rice milk to make three cups of milk. Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of coconut extract to the mixture.
Almond Chai: Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of almond extract
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Other Ethnic Dishes