I’m not sure what I enjoy the most about Chai tea; its flavour or its smell. Perhaps it’s the combination of the two that has won my heart.
Chai tea is made from a combination of black tea, ginger and other spices like cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper and cloves. And it is these spices that give Chai its many health benefits including anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic properties:
The chemopreventative benefit of a whole foods diet is often attributed to phytochemicals, such as terpenoids and polyphenols, found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Spices, (which) tend to have high concentrations of these classes of potentially therapeutic agents…Many spices, including cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, clove and ginger, have shown promise as chemopreventative and therapeutic agents in cancer. In vitro and in vivo, each of these compounds has demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic properties. Thus, chai tea, which contains a combination of all the aforementioned spices, represents an enjoyable means of chemoprevention.
~The Anti-Inflammatory and Chemopreventative Effects of Chai Tea;
The recipe below is a twist on the normal Chai tea latte that is milk-based. As well as tasting great, this latte offers you:
- Antioxidants
- Healthy fats
- Fiber
And you can enjoy it cooled, outside on a hot summer day. Or hot, snuggled up by the fire on a cool winter’s night. A true functional food that can really be enjoyed all year long!
Chai Tea Latte Recipe
Serves 1-2
Ingredients
- 1 bag of rooibos chai tea (rooibos is naturally caffeine-free)
- 2 cups of boiling water
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon almond butter (creamy is preferred)
- 1-2 dates
- Cinnamon (optional)
Directions
- Cover the teabag and dates with 2 cups of boiling water and steep for about 4-5 minutes.
- Discard the tea bag and place tea, soaked dates, tahini and almond butter into a blender.
- Blend mixture until creamy.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon (if using) and serve right away.
If you want a cold beverage, simply chill it in your refrigerator for a bit and serve over ice.
Enjoy!
The Anti-Inflammatory and Chemopreventative Effects of Chai Tea;