Chai Latte

Here's a shocker from someone who owns a cafe: I don't drink coffee.  I'll have a latte on occasion, and I'll indulge in a trashy Starbucks drink as a treat, but I don't down coffee like the rest of my family.  I do enjoy tea, and I'll try just about any kind of tea I stumble upon.

In 2004, I moved to Oregon, and the tea I stumbled upon was the chai latte.  There is a brand called Oregon Chai, which I had never seen on the East Coast, and I was convinced it was the drink of the gods.  That carton full of sweet and spicy concentrate was always waiting to be mixed with milk and enjoyed cold or heated in my dorm room microwave.  But I soon moved beyond the carton.  I tried chai lattes everywhere.  The best ones were just slightly sweet with a real kick of spice that warmed me to my core.  And even though I cook almost everything in my household from scratch, it never occurred to me to figure out how to make this drink.  I bought concentrates and tea bags, all promising that perfect chai.  But when my cafe opened, and I wanted to offer a drink for those who, like me, don't love coffee, I knew I needed to crack the chai.  And crack it I did.

With black pepper as its main ingredient, this chai is spicy, just the way I like it (and just the way it should be).  I make the chai marsala in large batches so that I have some for personal use and some to make a concentrate for the cafe.  When making your chai, there are a few things to keep in mind.  One, use the cheapest black tea you can find.  I use the regular Lipton tea bags.  You might be tempted to buy a high quality Indian tea, but that's not what is used to make chai in India.  I never drink this tea by itself, but it makes a mighty fine chai.

Secondly, use whole milk.  I know you usually keep around skim or 1%, but trust me, a chai latte calls for whole.  Aromatic compounds dissolve best in alcohols or fats, which means your skim milk won't extract as many flavors as whole.  We only keep whole around here, so it's not a problem, but I would never, ever try to make this drink with anything else.

Chai Masala
Makes about 3 cups

1 c + 2 T ground black pepper
3/4 c + 1 T ginger powder
1/4 c + 2 T ground cinnamon
1/4 c + 2 T ground cardamom
2 t ground clove powder
2 t ground nutmeg

Mix all spices together.  Store in an airtight container and keep dry.

Chai Latte
Makes one drink

1/2 c milk
1/2 c water
1 to 2 t sugar
1 black tea bag
1/8 to 1/4 t chai masala

Put all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Heat until milk begins to bubble.  Stir to avoid scalding the milk.  When it has boiled, turn off the heat and stir.  Allow to steep several minutes, and then remove the tea bag.  Strain and serve.

Alternatively, you can make concentrate like I do for the cafe.  I multiply this recipe by 16 (minus the milk) and boil everything together in a large pot until it boils.  Then I let it sit for a few hours, sometimes overnight.  One I remove the tea bags, I strain the concentrate through a sieve lined with paper towels.  The concentrate can be mixed with equal parts milk and heated to make each chai latte.