Homemade chai tea

If you’re like me, you love the spicy aroma and complex taste of chai tea. I like to make a huge mug of it and savor it slowly after I’ve finished running errands late on a weekend afternoon. For some of you, perhaps the peppery snap of chai tea makes it the perfect morning drink. Here’s a recipe for making chai tea at home, so you can enjoy it anytime the mood strikes you.

1 Tbsp. fennel seeds

6 cardamom pods

12 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 one-quarter inch long piece of ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced

6 black peppercorns

7 c. of water

2 Tbsp. loose Darjeeling tea

4 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 c. milk

Place water in a medium saucepan and add fennel seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger root, and peppercorns. Boil it for 5 minutes, the remove it from the heat and let it steep for 15 minutes. Add the loose tea, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer it for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture through a strainer, discard the spices and return the tea mixture to the saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and milk till sufficiently heated, and serve it immediately.