Chai Tea

*** I just have to say that this is probably my all time favorite recipe in the whole entire world.*** This tastes great either hot or cooled. I usually will double the recipe. If you are looking for a good place to buy ingredients, I highly recommend The Spice House, located on N. Wells. It has most all of these ingredients (except for water, milk, sugar, ginger root and loose tea leaves), and is also much cheaper than going to the grocery store for them.

Ingredients:

1-in. piece ginger root, mulched

2 cups milk

2 cups water

2/3 cups sugar

1/2 stick cinnamon

10 green cardamon pods

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon white or black peppercorns (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons loose leaf green tea

Place cinnamon stick, cardamon pods (crush and put in all parts), ginger root, cloves, peppercorns, and nutmeg in a pot. Add water and let boil for 2 minutes. Add sugar, stir well, and let boil for 2 more minutes. Pour in milk and turn down to low heat. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. (You should be able to stick your spoon in and pull up a skin off the top, when it is ready.) Stir and Cover with a lid and let sit on low heat for about 15 minutes. Take off lid and return to boil. Turn off heat completely and add grean tea leaves. Cover and let sit for no more than 5 minutes. Strain into pitcher.