Sugar-Free Chai Tea

“Oooh. Something smells good!” I just love to hear those words, so much that some times I put a cinnamon stick on the stove to simmer, just for the aroma – and the reaction.

(LANGUAGE POLICE Think of all the English words we have that describe our olfactory sensations, aroma, yes, but also scent, smell, stench, fragrance and odor. My books on word usage make little distinction except that aroma is the word most closely tied to food. Perhaps, methinks, aroma is in the nose of the be-smeller.)

Right, back to the chai tea, first made for my cookie swap back in December. I made it a day ahead and honestly, was unimpressed. But the next day, I reheated it anyway – and lo, when my fellow cookie-bakers were arriving if I didn’t hear those much-sought words, “Oooh. Something smells good!”

We all loved the stuff. Ever since, I’ve kept a jug in the fridge, ready for rewarming a cup at a time. It feels New Year resolution-ish, what with milk and all. Try it first without a sweetener, letting the spices themselves subtly sweeten the milk.

ALANNA's TIPS For tea, I recommend a strong tea rather than a delicate herbal tea. Canadian readers, you’ll be pleased to know that I’ve been making Sugar-Free Chai Tea with Red Rose orange pekoe tea! Here’s a quick trick for keeping a cup of hot tea or coffee hotter longer. While the tea is steeping or the coffee percing, fill the mugs with hot tap water. That way, the hot liquid gets poured into warm mugs, all the better. For those who watch calories, dontcha be thinkin’ that commercial and coffeehouse chai teas are low-calorie or even contain real milk. This is a recipe for homemade chai tea made with real spices, real tea and real milk. No label reading required.