Homemade Chai: A hug in a cup

A Warm Drink for a Cool Season

As the seasons start to shift and the cooler weather arrives I have a go to recipe that stays in my fridge nearly all winter-chai tea concentrate. Sure, you can buy it at the store but there is nothing like homemade! It fills the home with the delicious scents of cinnamon, anise and cardamom lending your home that homey, cozy quality that we all need during the long winter, especially here in Vermont. Below is my recipe that I created based on my personal taste. Feel free to play with this recipe and make it your own. Maybe you like a little more spiciness or perhaps more sweet.

While all these spices create ease mentally and emotionally for me, it’s their medicinal qualities that really got me interested in keeping a batch constantly on hand. In Ayurvedic medicine, cinnamon is traditionally used for respiratory, digestive and gynecological issues. Research has shown that it has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial components as well.

Star anise is a vital ingredient in Chinese medicine and has been clinically proven to be anti-viral. It’s active molecule shikimic acid is used to make Tamiflu, the pharmaceutical anti-viral medication for Influenza A and B. It has also been show to be anti-fungal, anti-microbial and antioxidant.

These are just a few of the fantastic benefits around these spices. Check out the recipe below and let me know what you think. This version is decaf so I did not add black tea bags but if you would like it to be caffeinated just add 4 black tea bags once you strain out the spices and steep for 5 minutes.