Chai latte

Ingredients

• 1 cupwater
• 1 cupwhole milk
• 2black tea bags, or 2 tsp loose assam
• 6green cardamom pods, cracked open
• 1cinnamon stick
• 1/2 ozfresh ginger, sliced into coins
• 4cloves
• 4black peppercorns
• 2 tbsplight brown sugar, or to taste
• 1star anise, plus one more per cup to serve

Method

1. 1

   Press the cardamom pods with the flat of a knife until they split, and bash the cinnamon stick into two or three pieces.

2. 2

   Put the water, cracked cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, peppercorns and star anise in a small pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes until the water is deeply fragrant and slightly colored.

3. 3

   Pour in the milk and add the sugar, bring back to a bare simmer, then add the tea and let it steep for 3 minutes only, without boiling hard.

4. 4

   Strain into two cups, discarding the spices and tea. For a foam, pour the chai back and forth between two pitchers from a height a few times before serving, and float a star anise on each cup.