Tea is one of Kenya’s main exports and our farmers especially in the tea growing region of Kericho have been smiling all the way to the bank in the past week.
But did you know there is a difference between tea as we know it and chai?
That preparing great chai is an art and that tea leaves should never be boiled?
Kenyans love their tea and by this I mean our milk,tea leaves and sugar period,that is how most of us take our tea.The furthest we may go outside of this is adding ginger and cinnamon to our tea to spice it up.
It’s very rare that we blend other spices like pepper or cloves to make this beverage a show stopper.
But wait till you discover Chai Tea,and like me you will get converted,now I take two cups of it and yet I am a sworn coffee addict.
It’s that good!
I discovered Chai tea thanks to Aarti Party a cooking show on food network.
It was out of this world!you should just let tea leaves steep and you get the most amazing combination of flavours in the world.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 (1-inch) piece cinnamon stick
- 4 green cardamom pods, smashed
- 4 whole cloves
- 1/2 star anise
- 2 quarter-sized coins fresh ginger
- 2 scant teaspoon black tea leaves (recommended: Taj Mahal) or black tea of choice
- 2 teaspoons honey, or more to taste
- Whole milk or half-and-half
Directions
In a medium pan, bring the water, all of the spices and the ginger to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat and allow it to steep for 15 minutes.
Bring the mixture back to a boil, then add the tea. Turn the heat off, and allow it to steep for 3 to 5 minutes depending on how strong you like your tea. Stir in the honey and add milk to your liking. Strain it into a bowl or pitcher and serve!
I use Nature’s Own blend of Tea Masala ,I totally love the warm peppery after taste it leaves in your mouth,a totally great way to start the day or end the day after dinner.
I am almost tempted to go make another cup right now.
There is a website dedicated to tea preparation http://www.chai-tea.org, that is how seriously people take their tea.
Go on now,make yourself a cup and trust me you will be hooked.
MARIDADI LIVING WITH INA 
Where can one find Nature’s Own tea masala mix? My good friend is Kenyan but now lives in Atlanta. He is sad because he cannot find this brand. Does the above recipe match the mix in Nature’s Own? Thanks!
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Hallo Christin,
I checked the brands of tea masala available in Kenya seem to have similar ingredients,these are;black pepper,cardamoms,cloves,nutmeg,cinnamon and ginger.The only ingredient that i have not seen in these brands is anise.
Availability of Nature’s own in the US is not something i can confirm,it may need some sleuthing on my part 🙂
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