Have you ever thought of chai tea as medicine?
Ayurvedic herbalism is all about formulations — that idea that an individual herb can actually be more medicinally potent when combined intelligently with other herbs. The brilliance of this process is that it creates a synergistic effect, which ultimately has a more balanced impact on your body. Certain herbs make other herbs more digestible, or can be used to bring a more warming or cooling effect. I always recommend herbal formulations over single-use herbs for this exact reason.
…but what does all of this have to do with chai?
Chai is an incredibly wise combinations of herbs and ingredients. Unlike coffee, which offers a more extreme experience of the bitter taste, chai embodies five of the six Ayurvedic tastes. Because chai has more balancing components, our bodies don’t experience it in such an extreme or harsh way.
Let’s break this down further.
Black tea is very astringent, which can by incredibly drying for the body on its own. Milk, on the other hand, is sweet and has a moistening effect on the body. The two are essentially opposites of one another! This means, they balance each other out so the body isn’t thrown into either extreme of something that is too drying or too moistening.
Then, we bring in spices.
Maybe you’ve noticed by now… in Ayurveda, we add spices in everything. The reason is, spices basically make everything more digestible and boost our immunity in the process! Turmeric is a broad spectrum antimicrobial, meaning it helps kill unwanted pathogens in our bodies. Ginger is well-known to be supportive in respiratory conditions — it supports proper lung function and promotes comfortable, efficient breathing. It calms a cough, reduces an asthmatic reaction and eases a sore throat…all while soothing the mind and nerves. The more heating spices like cinnamon and black pepper break up the mucus-forming tendency of milk and make it a little lighter and easier to digest. Black pepper helps activate the medicinal properties of turmeric, while cardamom helps metabolize caffeine and milk. Fennel and cardamom together bring in a more soothing quality to counter the hot, sharpness of the other herbs.
Chai is a living example of the complete mastery of this ancient wisdom. Not only does this classic cozy beverage taste amazing and boost immunity, but it is everyday (balanced) plant medicine.
And, the most amazing thing is, you have access to this medicine by combining everyday kitchen ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
4-5 inch Fresh Ginger Root (1/4 - 1/3 cup)
2-3 inch Fresh Turmeric Root (about 2 Tbsp)
8 Cardamom Pods
6 Cinnamon Sticks
2 Tbsp Fennel Seed
1 tsp Whole Cloves
1 Tbsp Whole Peppercorn
2 Bay Leaves
8 cups Water
4 cups Milk or Milk Alternative
8 Tea Bags or 8 Tbsp loose Black Tea
Maple Syrup or Honey — to taste
METHOD
PART ONE — CHAI CONCENTRATE
Grate or slice ginger and turmeric.
In a mortar and pestle, grind up cardamom, cinnamon sticks, fennel seed, cloves, and peppercorn — just enough to release an aroma.
Turn stove on medium/low or Instant Pot to sauté.
Once pot is warm, add ingredients from step two plus bay leaves (everything except fresh ginger and turmeric) and dry toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Add 8 cups of water, ginger, and turmeric.
For stove top: cover, bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. For Instant Pot: set on high for 30 minutes with pressure.
Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Pour into a jar and store in the fridge, or go straight into part two.
Concentrate will last in the fridge for up to 10 days.
PART TWO — ADDING MILK + TEA
In a medium pot, add 2 cups of chai concentrate to 2 cups water.
Bring just below a boil, then reduce to low.
Add 4 tea bags or 4 Tbsp loose leaf black tea to liquid.
Steep for 5 minutes.
Turn off heat and remove tea bags. If using loose tea, pour through fine mesh strainer.
Option to add honey or maple syrup to suit your tastes.
Your chai is ready to drink. Enjoy!
NOTES
For an extra spicy chai, add 1 Tbsp powdered ginger.
If you don’t have fresh turmeric, use 2 tsp powdered turmeric.
When selecting black tea, I prefer assam for chai.
If you prefer to be caffeine-free, skip the black tea and just add the milk and your sweetener of choice. For a brain boost, at ¼ cup bacopa or gotu kola..
To give it more body (especially if you’re going for a caffeine-free version) add ¼ cup dandelion root, ¼ cup rooibos, ¼ cup cocoa shells or 2 Tbsp chaga.
For added immunity and lung support you may like to add 2 Tbsp of any of the following cut/sifted dried herbs: licorice, tulsi, rose, pippali, marshmallow root, red clover, star anise, or echinacea. If using powdered herbs, try 1 Tbsp instead.
For a more cooling chai, add 2 Tbsp dried rose petals.
In part two, the ratio of concentrate to milk is 1:1. For every cup of liquid, add 1 teabag or 1 Tbsp loose leaf tea. So, if you are making a single serving and do 1 cup concentrate + 1 cup milk, you will add 2 tea bags or 2 Tbsp loose leaf tea. If you wanted to make all 4 cups of concentrate, you would add 4 cups of milk and 8 tea bags for 8 Tbsp loose leaf tea.
If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, do your best to briefly crush the spices with the base of a heavy jar.
To boost ojas (immunity + resiliency) add a tsp of ghee to your cup of chai.
Turmeric can easily stain clothes, countertops and fingertips (temporarily).
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