The Herb Stop Blog
Recipe of the Week - Warming Honeybush Chai (Caffeine-Free)
When I think of the cool weather approaching, I immediately crave warming hot teas! My favorite warming teas are Chai Teas. Typically these teas are consumed for enjoyment, but did you know that all the delicious spices are specific to aid digestion and warm the body? Warming the body from the inside out has a very distinct feeling, compared to standing in front of a heater. When the body is warm on the inside, the heat radiates outward throughout the entire body. Some even experience a tingling sensation in the extremities.
Because the herbs added to Chai also benefit digestion, we get a bonus! Digestion is the key to life - famously said "death dwells in the bowels". Enjoying Chai tea in the morning can give you a digestive head start for the day and enjoying this tea throughout the day will only improve the way your body extracts nutrients (macro and micro) from our meals.
What's the catch? The catch is that most Chai tea is made with Black Teas, typically Assam, which has caffeine and tannins. Because of these two downfalls, I have been avoiding Chai for several years. This year I decided I would no longer deprive myself of the warming and smooth taste of Chai! The result was an amazing Chai tea made with Honeybush instead of Black Tea. This tea can be consumed from morning until evening without the stimulating, and sometimes harmful, effects of caffeine and tannins.
Below is a recipe for my Honeybush Chai, however, if you prefer to simply make a cup of tea instead of creating the tea from scratch, we have our Honeybush Chai for sale in our store and online.
Honeybush Chai Tea (Caffeine-Free)
1 cup Loose Honeybush Tea
3 Tbsp Dried Ginger Root, cut and sifted (small pieces)
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp Dried Cinnamon Bark, cut and sifted (small pieces)
2 tsp Dried Cloves, whole
1 1/2 tsp Dried Cardamom Seeds, decorticated (no pods)
1-2 Vanilla Bean, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces*
1 1/2 tsp Dried Coriander Seeds, whole
1/4 tsp Dried Nutmeg, ground
*if you prefer, you can use Vanilla Honeybush Tea instead, substitute 1/4 cup loose tea for a vanilla bean
Blend all ingredients in a bowl and store in an air tight container.
To Make The Perfect Honeybush Chai Tea:
Use 1 tablespoon of the mixture to 1 cup of boiling water. Pour boiling water over herbs and allow to steep (covered if possible) for 10-15 minutes. If using a teaball, make sure there is plenty of room for the herbs to move around and expand. Strain into a small saucepan and add equal amount of milk, or milk substitute (I use Vanilla Flavored Almond Milk). Warm in the pot until nice and hot. Add a large spoonful of Raw Honey, or sweetener of choice, and mix well. Makes 2 cups of amazing Chai Tea.