Chai from Jordi

Recipe Masala tea:
1 - Put 6 cups of water in a pan, and start warming out with low/medium flame
2 - Meanwhile add:
- 4 cloves and 8 peppercorns smashed
-Jenny likes to microplane half a nutmeg into it
- 12 cardamon seeds after smashing (the seeds have to open so the inside gets in the liquid but you should put it all)
- 1/3 to 1/2 of ceylon cinnamon stick smashed (not dust just in little pieces)
- 2x1 inch piece of ginger cut in slices
- 4 star anise

3 - wait for it to boil pretty hard and stop the flame
4 - when it's not boiling anymore add 3 tea bags of Ceylon black tea. Wait for 5-10 minutes with the flame stop
5 - Warm up in the microwave 2 cups of milk, 45s
6 - add 5 tablespoons (⅓ cups) of sugar (or honey/date syrup) and the milk. Start the flame to low/medium
7 - Get it to a boil and after boiling leave it 5 minutes boiling (not too hard, just enough to boil)
8 - Stop the flame and filter the tea, moving it from container to container so it mixes all the flavors and creates a layer of bubbles
9 - Enjoy

First attempt missed star anise and used different cinnamon. Was a bit off, kind of bitter. We got ceylon cinnamon and followed the recipe much more closely and it was pretty good.

I feel like the flavors have gotten a lot more muted over time. Maybe it's letting it cool that brings out the flavors. The milk is always overpowering at first. Then the sugars when it's boiled.

I've been doing like 150% quantities of spices to compensate for hard water., except peppers, too spicy.

Milk for 1:30

Divyani Rao mentioned that many people switch blends between the warmer (ginger, black peppercorn, etc) to the cooler (tulsi, green cardamom, turmeric). Maybe try mixing those in the summer? Tulsi is apparently minty or something so maybe try that as well?

When cooking longer and slower, like half sugar cause of evaporation

Merry New Years Eve!

Used 8 cups of water. Did not double anise. Doubled all other spices.

Don't recommend using almond milk. It separates a lot. Use soy or oat instead.

To fix separation issues, we tried to use peanut butter but it didn't work. It did taste good IMO, Jenny hates it.

If it's acidic, internet says add some baking soda. -shrug-

Jenny made with Barista Oatly, this is the way. Hella good!

Also she used the loose black tea.