Festive Christmas Chai
When you think Christmas smells and flavors, what comes to mind? I tend to think of evergreen trees, cinnamon, and pine cones. So thus was born Festive Christmas Chai! All the flavors of Christmas wrapped into one delicious drink. Minus the pine cones.
This fun little chai recipe was inspired by my original chai recipe but with a fun winter/Christmas twist. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Christmas Chai
Ingredients
1/4 cup black tea (I prefer Assam—Organic and Fair Trade if you can get your hands on it!)
1/2 cup spruce needles (or pine)
3 tablespoons cinnamon chips (cinnamon that’s been cut into small pieces and dried)
2 tablespoons cut/dried ginger root
1 tablespoon cut/dried orange peel
1 tablespoon pink pepperberry
Directions
First you’ll need to gather your spruce or other edible evergreen needles. Feel free to use the needles off your Christmas tree—as long as it hasn’t been sprayed by anything!!! Otherwise head to the woods and forage for a few needles!
I found it easiest to take a scissors to the needles and just chop ‘em off that way.
You can either use the needles fresh, or dry them first. What I find to be the most flavorful is to use them fresh, but instead of putting a lid on your storage jar right away, cover it with a cloth until the evergreen needs are dried out. This allows the needles to infuse their flavor into the other herbs. My personal preference, but feel free to dry them out first if you wish! Evergreen needles aren’t full of moisture, so it shouldn’t take long to dry them out.
Once you get your evergreen needles harvested and ready to go, the rest is easy!
Measure everything out, pour into a glass jar and it’s ready to drink!
Substitutions
If you would like a caffeine free version, simply sub out the black tea for either more evergreen needles or rooibos.
WHY I USE WHOLE SPICES
The reason I make my own chai blend using whole spices is for a variety of reasons. First, I find it fun to make a tea blend catered to my own taste. Second, using powdered spices just creates a sludgy tea which I detest. Third, and most important, spices lose their potency much more quickly once they’ve been powdered. So using whole (or close to whole) spices ensures I’m getting more nutritional value and a stronger flavor profile from them.
**A note on purchasing the proper herbs: I found buying herbs super confusing when I started because you will see labels such as “C/S”. C/S simply stands for cut and sifted. It means the herb has been cut into small chunks or pieces. So when I say use cut and dried herbs, I mean the cut and sifted version. 😊
Benefits of the ingredients
Cinnamon
Studies have shown that cinnamon is great for balancing blood sugar levels. It could even potentially be useful for those suffering from type 2 Diabetes. Another study showed that cinnamon could be beneficial for those suffering from PCOS. Cinnamon is good for the heart and helps reduce bad cholesterol.
Ginger
Ginger has been shown in many studies to help with all types of nausea. That includes motion sickness, morning sickness, and even chemotherapy-induced nausea. Ginger is great for helping indigestion and even heartburn and stomachaches.
Orange Peel
Oranges are notoriously known for being high in vitamin C. The peels are also high in antioxidants, copper, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin A.
Pink Pepperberry
Pink pepperberry is not related to peppercorns. Limited research has been done on this plant but it does seem to have anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. It also appears to be high in antioxidants which can prevent free radical damage.
Spruce Needles
Spruce needles have an affinity for the lungs and can be very helpful for lung congestion, pneumonia, whooping cough, and croup. Spruce tips (especially in spring) are high in vitamin c.
A note on foraging
Whenever you go out foraging be sure you know how to properly identify the plant you’re harvesting. Or take someone along who does!
Be sure to harvest responsibly, meaning only take what you need.
Harvest away from polluted areas such as high traffic.
Every evergreen tree tastes a bit different so go ahead and give your tree a little nibble before you harvest to see if you like its taste. If not—find another tree!
WHERE TO PURCHASE
I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog! By purchasing through one of my affiliate links you will not spend a penny more, but you are allowing me to receive a small commission. This allows me to keep posting great content for you. Thanks for your support! Read more here.
If you are unable to grow your own herbs, or find ingredients locally, then here are two of my favorite places to buy bulk ingredients:
This company is where I purchase the majority of my seeds. Great selection of heirloom and/or organic seeds:
Please remember that I am not a medical doctor and none of the information I present should be misconstrued as medical advice. I cannot diagnose conditions or prescribe treatments for illnesses. If you have any questions whether or not herbs and essential oils are safe for you and your family, please speak with your medical professional. Essential oils and/or herbs are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Instead, they are intended to support wellness and an overall healthy lifestyle. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have any other health concerns, please consult your physician. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.