Chai recipe

[Guest guest]

Hi Denise -- Here is my version of Chai:

 

One teaspoon loose black tea and approx. 1 cup water per person

sugar or other sweetener to taste

spices, such as cinnamon or nutmeg to taste (choice of spices is very personal

-- I noticed another version uses cardamom, which I'm sure is delicious)

milk

 

Pour boiling water over tea and let steep for approx. five minutes. Strain the

tea and pour it into a sauce pan along with spices (experiment with spices -- I

suggest starting with 1/4 teaspon of cinnamon and/or nutmeg). Add sugar (or

other sweetener if you prefer) to taste and approx. 1/2 cup milk (more if you

prefer) for each cup of tea. Heat on stove until just before it comes to boil,

turn heat to low and simmer very slowly for 15 - 20 min., and enjoy.

 

[Please note: I have been alternately amused and disheartened by the

commercialization of Chai. Chai (which means tea) is incredibly simple to make,

and also very inexpensive. Also, for those who use tea bags (I know there are

places where it may be necessary to use them, such as at work), just check the

weight of a box of tea bags versus a container of loose tea and see what an

exhorbitant price is being charged for such a tiny quantity of tea and a lot of

packaging. However, I realize loose tea can also be expensive. For those who

like black tea, I find the Lipton loose tea to be a relative bargain,whereas

Twinings loose tea has gone way up in price over the past few years. Anyway,

I'm one of those people you don't want to get started on the subject of tea.]

 

Thanks to everyone in this group for all the great recipes. I will report back

as soon as I get a chance to try them.

 

Cheers.

Derek in Va.

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Hi, Derek! I was amazed at how easy chai is to make. When I lived in

MD I had several friends who were Indian... one girl's mom came to

visit, and she taught me how to make it her way.. but there really

wasn't a recipe so I didn't post it for Denise. But in case it's

useful, she did it this way: Boil a pan full of milk with a bunch of

tea leaves. Add the appropriate spices and strain into cups.

[Guest guest]

The only time using loose tea would be too much trouble is... never. I use

loose tea at work. I just keep an extra (empty) cup on my desk for putting

the tea ball into after my tea is brewed. When I take my tea mug to the

kitchen to wash it out, I take the ball with me and wash it out then, too.

It takes no extra time at all. The fancy new coffee machine they got for us

at work came with a tea option, but the tea it makes doesn't taste like much

to me. I was doubly peeved to find out that the company that installs the

machines offers plenty of other kinds of tea besides the one they first

brought (which was English b'fast). The coffee drinkers get 8 kinds of tea

while, as usual, nobody remembers that some of us don't drink coffee at all

and would love to have 8 varieties of tea to choose from. But we are a

minority, so we must bring in our own. Sigh...

At least when the machine breaks (often) tea drinkers aren't affected as we

can nuke water in the microwave in a pinch.

-Craige

 

On 10/10/05, Derek Mathis <lutesong1 wrote:

>

>

> Also, for those who use tea bags (I know there are places where it may be

> necessary to use them, such as at work), just check the weight of a box of

> tea bags versus a container of loose tea and see what an exhorbitant price

> is being charged for such a tiny quantity of tea and a lot of packaging.

> However, I realize loose tea can also be expensive. For those who like black

> tea, I find the Lipton loose tea to be a relative bargain,whereas Twinings

> loose tea has gone way up in price over the past few years. Anyway, I'm one

> of those people you don't want to get started on the subject of tea.]

>

> Thanks to everyone in this group for all the great recipes. I will report

> back as soon as I get a chance to try them.

>

> Cheers.

> Derek in Va.

>

>

>

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

> An Indian friend of mine at work told me that in India they usually

> drink tea with only hot milk (no water). I had never heard of that. It

> might be a little too rich for me, but it sounds tasty. Did it seem

> richer to you than our tea made with water and a slurp of milk added

> at the end? I will have to try it that way some day...

 

I think it depends on the milk you use. She had 2%, so it didn't seem

that rich compared to say what you can buy made in a coffeeshop. I

think with a heavier milk it could certainly be very rich! But I do

tend to put lots of (soy)milk in my chai when I make it, so it

wouldn't be as obvious to me as to someone who only uses a " slurp " ... :-)

 

Definitely try it!

 

*hugs*

Amy

[Guest guest]

Denise -- I know Lipton loose tea is not the best -- actually, I broke down and

bought a tin of Twinings loose Earl Grey for around $10 (the weight was approx.

8 oz.). Regarding palatible herbal teas, have you tried Rooibos (sp?). I

understand Rooibos comes from South Africa. To me it is the closest in taste to

actual tea.

 

Derek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

All tea is " actual " tea, Derek! ;-)

 

Yes, Rooibos does come from S. Africa. I love all sorts of tea, but I

find the taste too " weird " for my taste (for lack of a better word).

It is definitely not a taste for everyone. Also, it is an herbal tea,

so there is no caffeine in it.

 

There are so many wonderful teas out there. I have ordered little tins

of samplers from a site I like called Adagio (www.adagio.com). And I

just recently discovered a tea house in NYC that serves only their

teas and it was wonderful to get to smell the bins of loose teas.

 

-Craige

 

 

On 10/11/05, Derek Mathis <lutesong1 wrote:

> Denise -- I know Lipton loose tea is not the best -- actually, I broke down

> and bought a tin of Twinings loose Earl Grey for around $10 (the weight was

> approx. 8 oz.). Regarding palatible herbal teas, have you tried Rooibos

> (sp?). I understand Rooibos comes from South Africa. To me it is the

> closest in taste to actual tea.

>

> Derek

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Rooibos is also very good if you need to give something to a colicky baby - you

must make it in the usual way with boiling water and let it cool right down. It

is the only herbal tea that I like and I just cannot stand the tisanes which are

made from fruits and other stuff. I cannot call them 'tea' because they are not

composed of anything resembling a tea bush.

 

In my opinion Twinings Earl Grey tea is the finest, but I love Lipton's tea too

because it comes from central and eastern Africa where I used to live.

 

Another gorgeous tea is Lapsang Soochong but that one must be brewed lightly and

never served with milk.

 

Wendywoo

 

 

-

Craige Moore

 

Tuesday, October 11, 2005 9:55 PM

Re: Re: Chai recipe

 

 

All tea is " actual " tea, Derek! ;-)

 

Yes, Rooibos does come from S. Africa. I love all sorts of tea, but I

find the taste too " weird " for my taste (for lack of a better word).

It is definitely not a taste for everyone. Also, it is an herbal tea,

so there is no caffeine in it.

 

There are so many wonderful teas out there. I have ordered little tins

of samplers from a site I like called Adagio (www.adagio.com). And I

just recently discovered a tea house in NYC that serves only their

teas and it was wonderful to get to smell the bins of loose teas.

 

-Craige

 

 

On 10/11/05, Derek Mathis <lutesong1 wrote:

> Denise -- I know Lipton loose tea is not the best -- actually, I broke down

> and bought a tin of Twinings loose Earl Grey for around $10 (the weight was

> approx. 8 oz.). Regarding palatible herbal teas, have you tried Rooibos

> (sp?). I understand Rooibos comes from South Africa. To me it is the

> closest in taste to actual tea.

>

> Derek

>

>

>

>

>

>

>