Chai or Thai tea from scratch?

[cristeen]

You know... where you start with tea and spices?

Every recipe I find online seems to start with a mix. I've tried several tea bags that are supposedly "chai", but they're not nearly strong enough flavored for me, and the chai mixes are right out because of the hydrogenated oils they put in them.

Anyone have one they love? Or several?

[noobmom]

I've never made chai from scratch, but I've seen a friend do it. Basically you similar the spices and tea in milk on the stovetop, similar to this recipe

http://www.chai-tea.org/rec/rec101.html BTW if you go back there are a bunch more recipes.

Have you tried the Tazo chai tea bags? That is the teabag chai I prefer and I have Indian friends who also say it makes a decent cup of chai. Of course, nothing is as good without the long simmer on the stove.

[swd12422]

I love Revolution tea bags and Rishi loose tea. I tried to make my own mix, even used whole cinnamon sticks, and it just isn't as strong. Maybe b/c I didn't do the long simmer on the stove noobmom mentioned, I dunno. But after awhile, it just wasn't worth the time for the deliciousness I could get from the tin or bag.

[rebirth]

I made one a while ago, and used cloves, cinnamon sticks, lots of pepper, and black tea. It was very strong and spicy. I put it all in cheesecloth and simmered it in watered down milk for 20-30 minutes. It was yummy!

[gmvh]

Originally Posted by noobmom

Have you tried the Tazo chai tea bags? That is the teabag chai I prefer and I have Indian friends who also say it makes a decent cup of chai. Of course, nothing is as good without the long simmer on the stove.

I like the Tazo bags also. Around here, Target has them.

[funkymamajoy]

How about this one? http://www.mothering.com/recipes/homemade-chai You could add black tea.