Chai Latte
Thursday 
just before lunchtime 
Mystie
Six months or so ago I found a recipe for chai tea concentrate on some random blog. It was one of those link trails and I can’t remember now who or where it was. But, I remember the basic how-to for the chai. I tried it during the cold months, heating the milk and having a hot chai latte (chai tea + milk). I just remembered it a week ago and tried it iced. It is very, very good. The same or better than what you can get at a coffee shop.
Instructions
Bring to a bare simmer a medium saucepan full of water. Turn off the heat, add six tea bags chai (Stash has several good options, but Good Earth’s vanilla chai is the best I’ve had so far.) and cover. Steep for 5 minutes (my last pot I forgot and it steeped 20 minutes; it was still good). Stir in 1/4 to 1/3 c. sugar (I tried it unsweetened, but the sugar really brings out the flavor. With 1/4 c. it is lightly sweet but not a dessert drink).
Concentrate can be stored in a jar in the fridge for a week or so. To serve hot, mix with milk and heat. To serve iced, mix with milk and add an ice cube or two (if both are straight from the fridge). I make my drink with a ratio of 3:1 or 4:1 tea:milk, but that’s because I like the spices and tea strong. :) 2:1 would probably be a more typical chai drink.
Personally, I think coffee is better the higher the fat content of the milk/cream (although, the higher the fat content, the less is required). However, I find non-fat milk does not make a chai taste thin as it does in a coffee latte. So after three cups of chai I’ve had no fat, only a little sugar, and a serving of dairy.
