Grab a Cuppa for Spicy Chai Tea

     Hello, hiya and welcome! My name is WillowAurelie, and I am obsessed with all things tea! If you have not seen my gallery yet, you should stop by so you can join my little tea party and get a feel for how much I love tea! Technically, I collect the coffee items too because they are also cute but yuck the taste of coffee! Same for borovan and hot chocolate. But I digress.

     Tea, for those who don’t know (ahem, coffee drinkers, slushie slurpers, borovan busters!) comes from the plant Camellia sinensis (related to those camellia flowers you might see in botanical gardens). And a surprising fact most don’t know is that all the teas (Black, Green, Oolong, White, and Pu'erh) come from this one plant! When the tea leaves are steeped in hot water you get a delicious, soothing cup of tea. Tea is actually the most widely consumed beverage in all of Neopia, topping water, borovan, slushies, and everything else!

     I think tea is wonderful because of its yummy taste and comfort, and let’s be real, all those tea cups and mugs are just too adorable to pass up! I hope to share my love for tea with you. Especially during these chilly spring mornings in the Month of Running, waiting for the warmth of the Hunting and Relaxing months, tea is a great soothing beverage while we dream of the Festival of Neggs or Petpet Appreciation Day. Tea can also have magical healing properties, brighten your day, and give you an excuse to stop by Crumpetmonger’s for some tasty tea time snacks! I also love having tea parties with my Snowbunny and fellow tea lovers.

     I am writing about tea today to share some of my favourite tea recipes so that you can make delicious, comforting tea right at home, especially during this chilly month of celebrating! No need to stalk the coffee shop (although you may still want to stop by Crumpetmongers, because as we all know crumpets go GREAT with tea) for your much needed tea fix.

     Today I am going to share my absolutely favourite tea recipes that are the best to drink any time of the year! While reading this I am sure you will get thirsty for a nice cuppa! But fear not for you can easily follow along whip up these delicious drinks in no time with no special coffee machines or equipment! However I do recommend you run (don’t walk!) and get a mini handheld milk frother ASAP! This will change your life and your caffeine game.

     Chai tea is my very favourite type of tea to drink (I’ve got my eye on you Spotted Mynci Chai Tea!). It is warm and spicy and oh so delicious! It is perfect to drink hot or even iced during the Months of Relaxing and Swimming. First I’m going to share with you my base chai tea recipe. Then I’m sharing a spin off with that to make a coconut chai tea latte! I love the creaminess added with the latte part and it is my favourite part of my morning routine.

     CHAI TEA

     Serves 4 (or fills a large teapot)

     Ingredients:

     4 cups water

     1 whole star anise

     1-2 sticks cinnamon

     10-12 whole cloves

     6-7 whole allspice

     4 cardamom pods, cracked

     6-7 whole white peppercorns

     4-5 black tea bags, or 1/4 cup loose black tea

     1/4 cup granulated sugar (or sweeten to taste)

          Directions:

     1. Press the cardamom pods until they crack.

     2. Combine 4 cups of water with the tea bags (or loose leaf tea), star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, cracked cardamom pods, and peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring to a boil for about 10 minutes, until the tea is black and has reduced to about 2 cups.

     3. Reduce heat, and allow it to simmer for at least 5 minutes. The longer you simmer, the stronger the flavour of the spices. (I really like my chai bold and spicy!)

     4. Turn off the stove and remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the sugar at this point, or sweeten to taste. Strain the tea into a teapot or mugs. Serve immediately and enjoy!!

     *Note: Alternately, you may boil the spices and the water without the tea bags (or loose leaf tea) for the 10 minutes, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Then at that point when you remove the saucepan from the heat and turn off the stove, drop in the tea to simmer for another 5 minutes, and then sweeten to taste.

     Now that you know the basic recipe for chai tea, it’s time to spice it up by adding milk to make it a latte and coconut for some extra flavour!

     COCONUT CHAI TEA LATTE

     Serves 1

     Ingredients:

     1 mug of Chai tea (as prepared above or bagged chai tea)

     ¼ cup Half and half (Or milk or cream of any kind. You can also vary the amount per your individual preference, add less or more!)

     1 teaspoon coconut extract

     Directions:

     1. Brew and steep your chai tea. Make sure to leave some room at the top of your mug though for the cream! If you accidentally filled your mug to the top then just steal a couple sips and everything will be alright! Sweeten to taste.

     2. Pour the half and half into a microwave safe cup. Add the teaspoon of coconut extract and then heat for 30 seconds. You don’t want it boiling, but nicely warmed so it will froth up better.

     3. Grab that handy dandy mini handheld milk frother and froth the steamed milk! I like to froth it until most of the half and half is bubbly and foamy, but if you want less foam then don’t froth as long! About ten seconds should be good.

     4. Pour the frothed steamed half and half into your brewed cup of chai, stir once or twice for good measure, and then enjoy!

     *Note: You can sub coconut milk into this recipe for extra coconutty goodness! It would make any Coconut JubJub jealous! But don’t worry Coco Jubs, Neopia still loves you and crowns you coconut kings and queens!

     These chai tea recipes can be tweaked any way you like to suit your tastes such as not simmering as long for a less intense flavour, adding or subtracting the chai spice blend (allspice, nutmeg, and ginger are also great additions!) changing the sweetness amount, or even changing the type of milk or cream you add to the latte! Chai tea is one of my favourite tea flavours and now that I’ve shared these with you, I hope you get to enjoy the spicy tea goodness for yourself!