WARMING SPICED TEA BLEND
The spice blend can be made from pre-ground spices, but for best flavour, I prefer to make it from whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom seeds and cloves), and grind them in a mortar and pestle. Try to get your hands on Ceylon cinnamon, sometimes called true cinnamon, which has a far superior taste to the commonly used cassia variety.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger root
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh turmeric root or 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons mild honey (I used local bush honey)
To make – per mug of tea:
- 1 heaped teaspoon Spiced Tea Blend
- 1 teaspoon loose black tea or rooibos red bush, or 1 teabag
- 200 ml boiling water
- A large splash, about 50ml, creamy whole milk or dairy-free milk
Instructions
- Make the Spiced Tea Blend by combining the ingredients in a small jar, grinding the whole spices first if using. If the honey is thick, soften it first by sitting the honey jar in a bowl of hot tap water. Keep the tea blend in the fridge and use within one month.
- To make a mug of warming tea, put the Spiced Tea Blend, tea, water, and milk in a saucepan, and heat until foaming.
- Note, if using dairy-free milk, be careful not to boil as it can curdle, instead heat until steaming. Use a tea strainer to pour into a mug, sip and enjoy. Multiply the quantities as needed to make for more people.