Spiced tea aromatic beverage (Printable version)
A warming blend of black tea and aromatic spices for cozy, flavorful moments.
# What You'll Need:
→ Tea & Spices
01 - 4 cups water
02 - 2 cinnamon sticks
03 - 6 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
04 - 6 whole cloves
05 - 1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
06 - 6 black peppercorns
07 - 2 star anise (optional)
→ Tea & Sweetener
08 - 2 tablespoons loose black tea or 4 black tea bags
09 - 1/4 cup milk (dairy or plant-based)
10 - 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, honey, or to taste
# Directions:
01 - Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.
02 - Add cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, ginger, peppercorns, and star anise if using. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to release the flavors.
03 - Add the black tea and continue simmering for 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in milk and sugar or honey. Simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
05 - Strain the tea into cups and serve hot.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The spices bloom right into the water, creating layers of flavor that a regular tea bag could never do alone.
- It's honestly quicker than you'd think, and your kitchen smells incredible for the next few hours.
- One pot, done in 15 minutes, and it feels like something you spent an hour perfecting.
02 -
- If your tea tastes bitter, it's because the black tea steeped too long—keep it to two to three minutes, no more, or it fights with the spices.
- Crushing the cardamom pods just enough to crack them open changes everything; crushed too fine and they disappear, left whole and they don't release anything.
03 -
- If you're making this for more than one person, you can scale it up easily—just keep the ratio the same and give the spices the full five minutes to bloom before adding tea.
- Make a batch of just the spiced water in the morning and keep it in a thermos; add fresh tea and milk whenever you want a cup throughout the day.