Buck's Masala Chai
Our Masala chai starts with black tea and a short list of warm aromas, delicious!
For two cups
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 0.2 ounce English Breakfast Tea
- 3 green cardamom pods, lightly cracked
- 2 whole cloves and 4 black peppercorns, lightly crushed
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cassia cinnamon
- 0.3 ounce fresh ginger, sliced
- 1–2 teaspoons sugar, or a little more to taste
Make the cup
Put water, cardamom, cloves, pepper, cinnamon and fresh ginger into a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer gently, and let the spices scent the water for about 6 minutes.
Add the milk and warm it until the surface begins to move gently. Add the tea, lower the heat and steep for about 3 minutes, checking the aroma and tasting a small spoonful once it is cool enough. Strain through a fine sieve into two warmed cups. Stir in a little sugar, to taste.
What the spices add
Green cardamom makes the cup feel bright and floral. Cloves add a deeper, more insistent perfume. Pepper brings a small dry warmth without making the drink taste like a chile infusion. Cinnamon offers a familiar sweet aroma, while the fresh ginger supplies a different lift and texture from dried ginger powder.
You can buy the tea and spices from us, or you can buy the Masala Chai already blended!
Find your way
For a tea-forward cup, reduce the cardamom before increasing the steep. For more pepper warmth, add a couple of peppercorns to the next spice simmer rather than scattering powder into a finished cup. For less sweetness, reduce sugar gradually and see whether the tea's bitterness is actually pleasant. If bitterness is a problem, shorten the tea stage.