I love drinking chai, hot or iced, but I don’t love paying $4 for it at a coffee shop. Now I make my own concentrate. You needn’t shell out for expensive tea – I buy large boxes of organic black tea on the cheap at a certain large natural foods store.

This recipe is pretty mild. Feel free to up the spices and add a few black peppercorns if you like your chai extra spicy.

Ingredients

• 6 C. water
• 2/3 C. sugar (or more/less, to taste)
• 20 cardamom pods, cracked
• 15 cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks, broken
• 1/2 t. ground ginger
• 8 black tea bags

Method

Step 1

Combine water, sugar, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and ginger in large saucepan.

Step 2

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Add tea bags and turn off heat. Allow to steep for 5 minutes.

Step 4

Strain mixture. To serve, combine one part concentrate with one part non-dairy milk. Serve hot or chilled.

Step 5

Store concentrate in the fridge. It will keep for about one week.