Masala Chai!!

Hey everybody! Todays post is about Masala Chai! Masala Chai almost literally means "Tea Spice" because it is the regular Camellia sinensis tea leaf mixed with assortments of spices and herbs. It is an Indian style of tea that is traditionally mixed with milk, although it is common to drink Chai without milk. There are many different blends of chai, but Masala is one of the most popular and widely distributed. I typically make my Masala with milk, and below you will find the recipe to prepare the tea and a couple pictures.

Here is what you'll need. Naturally, you will need a teapot and some kind of strainer or infuser and a burner to heat up the tea. Also, this is entirely an approachable thing. If you want sweeter add more sugar, if you want it stronger then add more tea. This is the way I do it so it is sweet but still have the natural flavor of the tea.

2 tablespoons of Masala Chai

2 tablespoons of Sugar

2 cups of water

2 cups of whole milk

1 deep pot

Okay, before we begin I want to be clear about something. I understand that some people don't like whole milk or have trouble drinking it for various reasons. As far as making this type of tea goes, it is very important to use whole milk because the tea and spices meld with the fats of the milk and make it much better. Of course, it is approachable and you can use other milks if you want but i know from experience, it isn't the same.

Okay, now on to the good stuff!

This is the Masala I am using currently, it is Teavanas' blend. So far this is the best blend i've had.

The first thing you need to do is pour the 2 cups of water into the pot and bring it to a boil. Feel free to add the 2 tablespoons of sugar now too and wait for the sugar to dissolve into the water. Once the sugar is dissolved add the 2 tablespoons of tea into the mix. Here is the fun part! Let it boil for ten minutes. During this ten minute period your house will smell AMAZING as the spices and tea leaves open up. After the 10 minutes is up, it is time to add the 2 cups of milk.

Here is the most important part of the entire process. Once the milk is added, you have to keep an eye on it. It is very important not to let the tea boil over or you'll have chunks and a filmy casing on the top and ultimately a ruined pot of tea. Just watch over it as it gets to the boil and occasionally stir. Once it gets hot and boils for a few minutes turn off the burner and let it sit for another 10 minutes with occasional stirring. Once again, the house will smell FANTASTIC!

Run it through the strainer or infuser that you have in your teapot to remove any excess leaves and seeds, and you will have some wonderful Masala Chai to drink. Although, I prefer to drink it hot this tea is fantastic chilled overnight, which is what I did with this pot. This is a really wonderful dessert tea because of the sweetness. This tea is also great to make on a date, it is an activity to do together that takes a while and is pretty hard not to like!

This is what it should look like in the end. Believe me, it came out great!

Sorry for the length and wordyness of this post, had A lot to say, most posts won't be this long as the preparation is much less typically. I felt like this would be a good tea to start with because it is a tea that almost anyone would like. Also, the next posts will have better quality pictures after I find my digital camera.

If anyone has any suggestions on a tea for me to try or review, or any questions, comment below! Have a Tea-riffic day!