Winter is here and longer nights along with cooler temperatures make me crave more tea. I adore all types of tea, gunpowder green tea, oolong, chamomile, nettle, mint, chai - there are so many delicious teas to enjoy and fall through winter is the best time to enjoy these delightful hot and steamy beverages.
Chai is an all-time favorite tea of mine and the entire Zeeta team. We drink it year round, hot in the cool seasons and chilled in the warmer months. It's delicious and comforting either way but right now hot is the way to go! We are fortunate that not only do teas taste delicious but they are very good for our bodies as well. A few of the health benefits of chai are listed at the bottom of this post.
Try our favorite Chai recipe and please let us know what you think of it.
Step 1
Place the following ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a soft boil for 20 min
4 c. water
10-12 Cardamom Pods
1-2 Star Anise “Stars”
1 Clove
2 tsp. Dried Ginger or 1- 1” piece of fresh Ginger Root
1.5 tbsp Dried Cinnamon chips/flakes or 2 Sweet Cinnamon Sticks
Step 2, after the 20 min soft boil above add:
2 tsp. Black Tea Leaves (Darjeeling or Oolong varieties work well) and boil for 5 more minutes before adding your milk of choice
2.5 c. Milk (We like Vanilla Soy or Almond milk)
Step 3
Allow the ingredients to BOIL together. DO NOT STIR. You’ll see it begin to stir itself together as it boils. Be careful with this step, boiling over can happen suddenly.
Step 4
Once everything has boiled together, turn off the heat and add whatever sweetener you’d like. We enjoy agave sweetener but have also used vanilla stevia, white and brown sugar with success. Enjoy warm or cold!
The health benefits of Chai:
Chai contains a potent blend of tea, herbs and spices. These ingredients help to preserve health and increase peace of mind. It also improves digestion, enhances the immune system, fights inflammation and has antioxidant properties. Chai is also thought to contain antibacterial and anti-cancer qualities. Some of the big winners are:
Ginger: it's an important root used frequently in Eastern medicine. It aids in digestion, circulation, and boosts the immune system. Ginger also alleviates arthritis pain by reducing inflammation
Cardamom is found in almost every Tibetan medicine. It supports the immune system and detoxifies the body while improving circulation. It also may relieve respiratory allergies
Clove is great to help alleviate coughs and cold symptoms as well as help soothe gastric upset.
Enjoy the great taste and many benefits of all teas this fall and winter season.
Cheers,
Christine and the Zeeta Team