Post by darkhaven80 on Jan 29, 2008 18:07:26 GMT -5
Chai tea is basically black tea brewed with milk and spices. Traditional and real Chai tea is served hot, while today some have experimented with a cold version. Chai must be used with milk to bring out the tastes of the spices and to authenticate the recipe. There are store-bought Chai packages, but these generally cannot duplicate homemade spice combinations.
While health-conscious individuals may shy away from using sugar in a Chai recipe, Chai almost always incorporates sugar to complement both the tastes of the milk and spices.
Health benefits of Chai tea and some useful info behind the combination.
From Chai Tea Recipes
Chai's roots come from the 5,000 year old Indian Science of Ayurveda, healing with food.
You'll find that the ingredients in Chai are used to promote healing and strengthen various parts of the body.
* Cinnamon strengthens the blood and teeth. Ceylon Cinnamon is soft and light tan colored. Hard, red-brown cinnamon is actually Cassia Bark. Has a real strong flavor. Use what is available to you and adjust the recipe accordingly. We like Ceylon Cinnamon, alot.
* Black Pepper stimulates digestion, brings heat, circulation, breaks a sweat, breaks down calcium deposits.
* Cloves stimulate the appetite.
* Cardamom opens the nerves, helps digestion.
* Ginger strengthens the nerves, circulation.
* Tea catalyzes the spices. Opens the lungs, circulation, anti-oxidant. Lots of new research!
* Milk helps buffer the digestive tract from the spices and relax the muscle system.
You don't need to use a large amount of Tea in a pot of Chai.
The magic is in the mix!