clove chai

kind of ran into this one while attempting stovetop chai to celebrate a storm.

- black tea (I used red rose)

- cloves, anise, cinnamon, and fresh ginger ground up in mortar/pestle (*would have used cardamom too if available)

- a few spoonfuls of sugar

- milk

put everything but the milk into a small pot of water and heat on high until boiling, then turn down to simmer. remove teabag when tea is darker than you'd drink it. add the milk, keep stirring to combine. strain into glass bowl, then pour into mug. sip sip

clove oil as an oral anesthetic was introduced to me in a field dentistry lecture. I have neither carried nor used clove oil before, but feeling how the tea hit my tongue I understood immediately why it is so trusted.

I think chai is an excellent vector for ingesting spices. I bet I could even sneak a black peppercorn in there. I am impressed with how strong the clove was even when only boiled for a little. I'll keep this one handy as my wisdom teeth keep erupting...