When you are home for the holidays, cozying up in front of a fire, with family, friends, or a book, there is nothing better than smelling (or drinking!) a fragrant, spicy, delicious pot of chai on the stove! This is easy to put together and has a tremendously pleasant payoff. I recommend using oat milk (it separates less), but hemp or oat milk (unsweetened!) work well, too.
- 6 cups water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 10 cardamom pods
- 1 heaping Tbsp. peppercorns
- 2 vanilla beans, sliced open length-wise
- grated nutmeg
- 10 whole cloves
- 2 inch piece of ginger, in slices (skin on)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
- 4 decaf black tea bags
- 2 cups oat milk
-In a large pan, bring the water and all spices to a boil.
-Reduce to a simmer and add sweeteners. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes.
-Turn off stove and add tea bags. Let tea and spice flavors meld for several minutes.
-Strain the ingredients into a smaller pot.
-Return smaller pot to stove, add the oat milk, and heat to desired temperature for serving!
A few nutritional highlights:
Cinnamon, nutmeg, & cloves are all digestion aids, anti-inflammatories, antimicrobials, and antibacterials. Nutmeg also contains a compound called myristicin, which prompts a tumor-fighting ability in the body!
Ginger is also an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, and it also reduces nausea.
Honey has anti-cancer properties and aids liver function.
Black tea (try decaf!) contains relatively high amounts of vitamins C, D, and K, as well as a number of important minerals such as iron, zinc, calcium and more.
Helen Montfort says
Can you use Almond Milk?
And how long do the spices last?
Can I just use enough for one cup at a time?