For years I didn’t drink chai tea, not because I didn’t think I’d like it but because I don’t drink caffeinated beverages. Recently, I came across the idea to substitute black tea with rooibos tea and decided to use the roobis tea with elderberry and rosehip my sister-in-law had given me.

The spice mix used to make chai should be avoided if you eat a mostly clean raw diet or suffer from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) because the spices will irritate the lining of your stomach, which inevitably leads to indigestion.

Health benefits:

·       If you need a cup of coffee to get started in the morning, chai tea may offer a healthier alternative. Since most blends of chai tea have relatively little caffeine, you can still benefit from a quick pick-me-up without the dangers of caffeine.

DECAF CHAI LATTE

Makes 3-4 cups

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cardamom pods

3 whole cloves

1 star anise

3 tsp rooibos tea leaves OR 3 rooibos teabags

2 knob of ginger, sliced

1 L /4 cups filtered water

1 vanilla bean, slit with a knife and seeds scraped

honey, to taste

Grind the spices with a pestle and mortar into a powder. Pour the spice blend into a saucepan, add the water and rooibos tea leaves to a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Strain liquid through a mesh bag or double layer of muslin into a jug. To drink, pour in ¼ mug of chai, add some sweetener to taste and fill the mug with warm plant milk.