A friend from Kenya once insisted on making me tea. I, just as firmly asserted, “I don’t like tea.”
I do now.
East Africans make tea much like the Indians do. Rather than steep tea leaves in hot water, which had always been my tea experience, they use boiled milk. In the countryside where they lack refrigeration, Kenyans boil their milk in the morning and then it can be left out all day without going sour. They use it throughout the day for drinking and tea, dispose of whatever is left at the end of the day, and start all over the next morning.
My Somali friends also make this tea except they use aunthentic spices that they grind down with a mortar and pestle until fine enough to boil with the black tea leaves. I have a mortar and pestle that my mother in law gave me as a gift. I think it looks great as a decoration on top of my book case. I’m not about to actually use it.
I use Lipton Chai Tea.
And while it isn’t as good as the Somali version, even they declared it acceptable.
Chai Tea Latte
- Milk – I use skim, but feel free to use any type you have. If it is 2 percent or whole, you should add some water to thin it.
- Chai Tea – really any kind of black tea is acceptable. We also like French Vanilla and Orange Spice. Green teas do not seem to work as well.
Boil enough milk for the number of servings you are making.
Use approximately 1-2 tea bags per serving, depending on your prefererence. I use two.
As the milk begins to bubble, add the tea bags to the pan, and allow them to steep.
It is ready when you have a light brown liquid. Again, this depends on your preference.
Serve with a small amount of sugar or sweetener. We use Splenda.
If you like it a little spicier than Lipton’s version, you can buy “Tea Masala” at an international grocery. Add a small amount to the pan when you boil the milk and it will add that extra spice that Starbucks’ seems to have… at a minuscule fraction of the cost.
If you have a hand painted cup that you painstakingly created yourself, the tea seems to taste that much better.
Enjoy!
I love chai, I’ve had it so many different ways -my favorite “commercial” version is Big Train Spiced Chai, they also make Vanilla – very good. I’ts hard to come by though, I’ll have to keep an eye out for the Lipton. Thanks!
I am not a tea drinker, never have been, probably never will be. However, I can believe that the milk tea must be really good. I love hot milk, especially with chocolate. Yes, I am one of THOSE chocolate lovers.
But I like warm milk with Oyster juice, butter and pepper. Weird, I know. I love warm milk with melted cheese. From Mac & Cheese the way my Mom makes it. Warm milk with vanilla, reminds me of the eggnogs we used to make- nothing like store bought eggnog!
So hot milk with flavorings of tea should also taste delicious and comfy. I am now thinking that warm milk with peaches and a little cream would be tasty!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to think outside the warm milk box!
I am visiting from Food on Fridays with Ann Kroeker. Thanks for sharing with us. Have a great week.
Mmmmm….I like chai tea. This sounds great!!
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