Maple Chai Recipe

Chai describes a particular preparation of tea originating from India that has been enjoyed for centuries for its delectable flavor, and it is also thought to convey medicinal benefits (via Teatulia). There are many different versions of chai tea, but they all have a few staple ingredients in common: black tea, milk, a mixture of spices, and a sweetener. These ingredients are brewed together, and then the chai is strained, resulting in a tasty hot drink that can be served throughout the day.

Although this drink is often referred to as chai tea, chai is the Hindi word for tea (via Teatulia). Deeply comfortingly, creamy, and beautifully-spiced, it's no wonder chai is considered to be a healing beverage. This chai recipe created by Jennine Rye includes maple syrup to add an element of sweetness, but it's typically not an ingredient you will find too often in traditional chai. The nutty, warming, caramel-sweet notes of maple syrup pair beautifully with the sweet and spiced flavors of chai, resulting in a dreamy hot drink that is guaranteed to delight your tastebuds.

To make this maple chai recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. You will need cardamom pods, a stick of cinnamon, fresh ginger, wholes cloves, ground nutmeg, milk, loose leaf black tea, water, and maple syrup. This maple chai recipe uses loose black tea leaves, however, if you are struggling to source a loose leaf tea, a teabag can be used as a substitute.

To start, add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, fresh ginger, cloves, nutmeg, milk, and ½ cup water to a small saucepan. Slowly bring the milk and spices to a gentle simmer, and then allow the ingredients to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. This will infuse the flavor of the spices into the milk, as well as potentially making the milk easier to digest. Once the spices become fragrant, add the loose tea to the saucepan. 

Allow the tea leaves to steep in the spiced milk for 3 minutes, before adding the maple syrup. Stir the chai well to mix in the maple syrup, before straining the tea through a strainer. Make sure you do not leave the tea leaves in the hot milk for too long, or else the flavor may become overpowering or unpleasantly bitter. Divide the tea into mugs, and enjoy immediately.