There's nothing I love more than chai. Hot or cold, summer or winter and very time in between, it's my favorite refreshing treat.
I am very particular, however, when it comes to my favorite blend of spices. Here in North America, there is no one standard "chai tea"; every tea company seems to have its own blend, and it's hit or miss for me in terms of whether I really like it all that well. I tend to gravitate towards chai tea spiced with ginger, cardamom and cinnamon, with maybe a touch of black pepper.
This winter, I discovered making my own blend of chai tea spices in a simple syrup was a way for me to always have chai tea on hand. I pre-make the simple syrup and store it in a mason jar in the fridge for up to a week. Once I have it in the fridge, I know I can grab it and add it to hot black tea and steamed milk, and voila! a mug of chai tea is in my hands.
As we approach the warmer half of the year, I plan on continuing to make this chai syrup and using it to construct iced chai lattes. I pour 1-2 tablespoons of the chai syrup (depending on how much tea and milk I'll add) over ice cubes in a tall glass, then add iced black tea (I usually brew loose-leaf assam tea) and a milk of my choice (I usually like coconut-almond dairy free milk with chai tea, but oat milk is good, too).
Iced Chai Latte
Ingredients
Chai Simple Syrup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger
- 1-2 sticks cinnamon
- 3-5 pods cardamom
- 5 whole black peppercorns
- 2-3 pieces whole star anise
Iced Chai Latte
- 2 tbsp chai simple syrup approximate amount, adjust to taste
- 1 cup freshly brewed and chilled black assam tea approximate amount, adjust to taste
- 1/2 cup milk of your choice approximate amount, adjust to taste
Instructions
Chai Simple Syrup
- Peel and chop the ginger into slices.
- Add all ingredients to a small pan on the stovetop. Slowly heat the mixture until it simmers, but do not let it boil. If it starts to boil, turn the heat down.
- Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Watch to ensure it does not boil or reduce (evaporate) too much; if it seems too hot or to be evaporating too quickly, you can reduce the simmering time or even take it off the heat and let it sit.
- Allow the mixture to cool and then use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain out the non-liquid ingredients. Pour the mixture into a heat-proof container like a mason jar. Store the syrup in the fridge for up to a week.
Iced Chai Latte
- Add about 2 tablespoons of the chai simple syrup to a tall glass with ice cubes. (Note you can adjust the amount of syrup according to your taste).
- Add about 1 cup of freshly brewed and chilled black tea (I like to use loose leaf assam tea) to the glass.
- Top off with about 1/2 cup (or to taste) your preferred milk. I really enjoy a coconut-almond dairy free milk with this drink.
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