How to Make Mocha Chai Tea

Chai is the word for tea in Russian, as well as several South Asian languages. Americans have come to know chai as a tea that is seasoned with aromatic spices and milk. Typical spices used in chai include cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, vanilla and peppercorns. Enjoy a warm mocha chai on a winter's day by adding chocolate flavoring along with the other spices you choose. This recipe makes two standard size mugs of mocha chai tea.

Things You'll Need

• Small saucepan
• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ cup milk, half and half or cream
• 2 tbsp. black tea leaves
• Strainer
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tbsp. sweetened cocoa powder or cocoa mix
• Mugs

Instructions

1. Boil 1 ½ cups of water in the saucepan.

2. Add 2 tbsp. black tea leaves to the pan, reduce the temperature to low and steep for five to 10 minutes. The longer you steep the tea, the stronger your chai will be.

3. Strain the tea leaves out of the saucepan and discard.

4. Pour ½ cup milk, half and half or cream into the saucepan. Your tea will be richer and thicker when using dairy products with higher fat content. For a "light" mocha chai, use skim milk.

5. Simmer the chai for three to four minutes.

6. Add ½ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. ground cloves and 1 tbsp. cocoa powder or commercial hot cocoa mix to the mixture. Refrain from using unsweetened cocoa powder that is meant for baking, as it will make your drink bitter.

7. Stir the mocha chai and allow it to simmer for a couple of minutes until all the ingredients are warmed through.

8. Pour the mocha chai tea into two mugs.