Iced Chai Without The Lines
no, it's not authentic. yes, I still love it.
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but SoHo has become the new Times Square. It’s become completely packed with tourists, all hogging the entire sidewalk, leaving the subway station to stand at the top of the stairs, and crowding store entrances. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad businesses are busy, especially after the pandemic, but I’m walkin’ here! I know this makes me sound like a cranky New Yorker, but think of the sidewalks here like the LA freeways. You wouldn’t stop in the middle of the 405 to take a selfie? Pull over for that fit check next time.
Those tourists have made their way to the East Village, where we live. I’m not sure what they’re all looking at. It’s mostly residential, with bars and restaurants. We’ve got no tall buildings or fancy stores, but I often see backpack-clad swarms staring up at the sky when I’m just trying to get groceries. On the plus side, it has made for some good people-watching. I once saw a European tourist waiting in line in front of me at the coffee shop wearing the most intense backpack-fannypack-moneybelt combo I had ever seen. Each clipped into one another with a harness that went between his legs like some serious rock climbing gear.
The biggest change is that I can no longer go to the coffee shop on weekends. The lines run around the block at even the most average spots, so I’ve had to become my own barista. Since becoming pregnant, I can’t drink alcohol and have to keep coffee to a minimum, so iced chai is my Sunday big splurge. (You all know how hard I love whiskey, but surprisingly, the toughest thing about being pregnant was cutting back on coffee. In the first trimester, I’d shove my nose into a bag of roasted beans daily. I even fantasized about Caramel Frappachinios, something I haven’t had since college.)
There is nothing authentically South Asian about iced chai, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a place in my heart for it. I know some folks get riled up about the iced chai at Trader Joe’s and Starbucks or when people say chai tea. Yes, it’s super sweet and way too heavy on the cinnamon. Yes, chai tea technically means tea tea. But I don’t think of it as anywhere close to the cha I grew up drinking. (In Bengali, we call it cha, not chai). That tea is nuanced from bitter Assam leaves, prickly ginger and black pepper, and warm cardamon and clove. I think of chai tea as the American cousin, related but totally its own thing. So why not let it have its own name?
My iced chai concentrate is probably too cinnamony and sweet for the South Asian palate. It’s also much spicier and bitter than the type most coffee shops in the US sell. But I think it’s perfect because it hits notes from all the cha, chai, and chai teas I’ve grown up with. And most importantly, it allows me to skip the coffee shop lines.
In Non-Chai News
There’s a new episode of Mystery Menu! These shoots are so fast and furious that Ham and I completely forget they even happened until we see the video up on YouTube. This last batch of episodes was actually shot in February, when I was in my first trimester, but before we had told anyone I was pregnant. For those who don’t know, that’s the absolute worst part of pregnancy, when you’re the most tired and nauseous. This is why we kinda took it easy and didn’t push too hard, but watching it now, we’re still pretty pumped with how all the dishes came out. Check it out here:
Iced Chai Concentrate Recipe
makes about 1 quart | active time: 30 minutes | total time: 1 1/2 hours
INGREDIENTS
for the spiced syrup:
5 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon cardamom pods
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cloves
1 cup (213 grams) packed light brown sugar
2 cups water
1 cup (100 grams) scrubbed and thinly sliced ginger
for the tea concentrate:
2 cups water
½ cup loose-leaf black tea
to serve:
ice cubes
milk of your choice
Make the syrup: In a mortar and pestle, coarsely crush the cinnamon sticks and
transfer to a medium pot. Repeat with the cardamom, peppercorns, and cloves.
(If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, add the spices to a zip-top bag and smash with a rolling pin.)
Add the sugar, water, and ginger to the pot. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to steep, covered, for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the tea concentrate: Bring the water to boil in a medium pot, remove from heat. Add the tea, cover and steep for 1 hour.
Strain the syrup into a container, passing it through a fine metal sieve. Strain the tea into the same container, passing it through a fine metal sieve and gently pressing on the tea leaves to wring out all the liquid. Stir to combine. Store refrigerated.
To serve: Fill a glass with ice and add equal parts tea concentrate and milk. Stir and serve right away.
thank you for this recipe, I have been craving iced chai lately! How long can you keep the concentrate around?
Would you ever use ctc assam here?