On the Study of Chai

We’re on a strict diet of finals and caffeine from here on out, and what better tribute to Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge, Pierre Jean Robiquet, Pierre Joseph Pelletier, and Joseph Bienaimé Caventou, the chemists hailing from Germany, France, France, and France, respectively – a group of fellows who had each independently isolated the popular stimulant – than to raise a mug of steaming of joe in the name of academia. As we flood to the libraries, coffee shops, or any spread of table contained within the negligible hum of white noise, we do it with dour expressions etched on our faces. It’s common knowledge that we hold that dichotomous sensations of devotion and weariness; the eternal student condition. So we choose Starbucks, Espresso Royale, Café Ambrosia, Sweetwaters to get that kick of alertness from the warm roast of the coffee bean or from aromatic tea leaves, all the while we say our hurried hellos and goodbyes.

Soy chai lattes have always been my personal weakness, although brewed from these cafes they quickly burn a hole through the wallet. In lieu of handing half my paychecks to often, many of these larger corporations, I’ve tried my hand of constructing this drink from my own kitchen. All of the ingredients can be purchased at the People’s Food Co-op for under fifteen dollars, and of course, this method often pays for itself. At the risk of adding to the mass addiction, I have provided the recipe that I use here. Here’s to a week of productivity! Or rather, let’s just try and minimize the collateral damage.

You will need:
2 cups water
2 tea bags (I use earl grey, but you can experiment with different sorts)
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cardamom
a couple whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp sugar (or to your liking)
1½-2 cups milk of choice (or to your liking)

Pour water in a reasonably sized pot or saucepan and place in tea bags and combination of ginger, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon stick and let boil. Once the water boils, allow tea bags to steep for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes have passed, add in sugar, stir, then add in milk or milk substitute. Boiling will cease after this step, but keep the heat on so the tea can reach a boiling state again. However, it is important to keep a diligent eye on the concoction at this point as milk is keen on boiling over and creating a volcanic mess. Once boiling begins once more, turn off and remove from heat. Using a spoon, carefully take out the tea bags, cinnamon stick and cloves. Often, the cinnamon stick can be dried and reused later. If you take a whiff of it and if it is still perceptibly cinnamon-y, it’d be good for another round.

Sue majors in Neuroscience & English and tends to lurk in bookstores.