Making excellent chai begins with a strong black tea as the basis for the drink. Assam tea is often used, but gunpowder tea or green chai tea may also

be substituted

.

The tea

is mixed

together with a selection of spices that can include cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, pepper and cloves

.

There are variations that can include mint, almonds, saffron, nutmeg, rose petals, and licorice

. It is

typically

made with some type of milk, with the proportions of half parts water to half parts milk. Whole milk can

be used

to impart a rich creaminess, but soy or rice milk offer tasty alternatives. The tea

is placed

in the quantity desired in a tea ball that then goes inside the tea cup or teapot.

The water and milk

are heated

to

just

below boiling so as not to curdle the milk, and then the hot liquid

is poured

over the tea ball

. The tea

is left

to steep until the desired strength

is reached

, and then the tea strainer

is removed

.

While the tea is hot is a good time to add sweetener to the drink, because the sweetener will melt more

rapidly

and

thoroughly

in hot rather than cold liquid

.

The sweetener used is up to your personal taste, so you might try white sugar, brown sugar, honey or even sweetened condensed milk

.