So I know usually the summer drink series recipes involve alcohol, but I had a hankering for a chai latte and instead of spending the four dollars to grab one down the street I whipped up one of my own at home! The flavor of chai is all about the freshness of the spices, and I love mine extra spicy- so I used super fresh spices from fresh ginger to whole cardamom pods from Jiva Organics.
I love that Jiva Organics is all about sustainability (the word jiva actually means life!) and they offer an amazing line of organic spices. When I was crushing the dried cardamom pods I could smell their freshness- the scent of my kitchen was incredible! The vacuum-sealed package keeps the pods super fresh and I love that you can use them whole or just remove the seeds!
Ingredients:
10 Cardamom Pods, Crushed
2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger, Coarsely Chopped
2 Teaspoons Fresh Black Peppercorns
2 Teaspoons Whole Cloves
Cinnamon Stick, Broken
2 Black Tea Bags
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
3 Cups Water
Instructions:
1. Add spices (cardamom, ginger, pepper, cloves, cinnamon) and 3 cups water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, let simmer 10 minutes.
2. Bring back to a boil, add tea bags then remove from heat. Let steep 5-10 minutes.
3. Stir in brown sugar and almond milk. Pop into the fridge and allow tea to cool completely.
4. Pour through a strainer into cups filled with ice.
5. Enjoy!
I love the spice of chai and that the longer you allow the spices to sit in the refrigerator the more intense the spice gets! If you prefer a sweeter latte, add more sugar and strain the spices before letting the mixture cool.
Looking for more spices? Check out Jiva Organics on Facebook.
Do you have a favorite type of latte? Let me know in the comments below!
Some items contained in this post were provided to me free of charge for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
