A rich, creamy tea brewed by boiling Kenyan black tea leaves directly in milk with ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon, sweetened generously with sugar.
Instructions
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1
Combine water and milk in a saucepan. Add crushed ginger, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick.
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2
Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, watching carefully as the milk can boil over quickly.
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3
Add tea leaves and sugar, reduce heat to low, and simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
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4
The chai should turn a rich caramel-brown color with a creamy, aromatic fragrance filling the kitchen.
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5
Strain through a fine strainer into cups, pressing the tea leaves to extract maximum flavor.
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6
Serve immediately while hot. Kenyan chai is always served sweet and milky.
Did You Know?
Kenya is the world's third-largest tea producer, yet most Kenyans drink their tea boiled in milk rather than brewed in water with milk added.
The Story Behind Kenyan Chai
Tea was introduced to Kenya by British colonists in the early twentieth century, but Kenyans made it entirely their own. Rather than the British method of steeping tea bags in water, Kenyan chai is boiled directly in a mixture of milk and water with aromatic spices, a technique influenced by Indian chai traditions. The result is a richer, more flavorful brew that has become the national beverage, consumed multiple times daily across all social classes.
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