Secrets of the Best Chefs

Chai Tea

Serves 2

Upon my arrival at Gomez’s home, she immediately offered me a

glass of chai tea, which she poured from a beautiful silver tea

service. The secret to a good chai (which means “tea” in Hindi;

therefore “chai tea” is “tea tea”) is very simple: you have to buy

whole cardamom pods. It’s their pure flavor and their flavor alone

that makes chai taste like chai. Once you buy them (and they’ll

last for a while), you can use them to flavor other things too, such

as oatmeal.

1 cup whole milk

1 cup water

8 cardamom pods*, crushed

4 tea bags of black Darjeeling tea

¼ cup honey, plus more to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg

In a small pot, combine the milk, water, and cardamom. Heat over

a low flame and simmer, gently, for several minutes until the liquid

is infused with the cardamom.

Add the tea bags, bring to a boil, and then turn off the heat. Let

the tea steep for several more minutes.

Strain the tea into mugs and add honey to taste. Grate fresh