Speaking literally, “chai” just means “tea,” but in the US it means a particular KIND of tea. I like making that particular kind of tea myself. I originally got a recipe from T. Thorn Coyle and have been tinkering with it ever since.

Here’s what I’m currently (9/2023) using:

• A chunk or two of fresh ginger (chunk = about the size of your thumb from the last joint to the tip)
• A couple cinnamon sticks
• A bunch of whole cloves (like… two or three  tablespoons. I love cloves)
• 5-8 peppercorns (usually black)
• 2-3 whole cardamom pods (usually green)
• 5-8 whole allspice

I toss all that in a glass tea kettle (so you can see how strong it’s getting) and bring to a boil, then simmer it for an hour or more.

To serve, pour into a mug, add milk/cream/plant milk of your choice (I use rice milk) and honey and enjoy.

I get my ingredients from Penzey’s, and highly recommend them if you don’t mind shelling out a little extra. Pro tip: join the mailing list and buy up gift cards when they’re on sale. They make great gifts, and you can use them yourself to effectively spend less per $50 of herbs/spices! Good stuff.