Wild fennel chai

Lockdown's got me craving chai tea, and I've started experimenting with recipes.

Fennel in all its aniseediness makes a fantastic base. Add to that whatever other sweet spices you have in your lockdown pantry. Cloves, cinnamon, ginger and cardamon are all fantastic chai candidates. And vanilla - real or fake. 

Use whatever you have, and try out different quantities.

The hasty way

Steep black tea as you normally would, with a few fresh young fronds or flowers of fennel in there as well.

If you have them, add in a few cloves, a cinnamon quill, and/or some slices of ginger. A couple of drops of vanilla at the last minute round the flavours off. Add sugar or honey to taste.

Leave in whichever of the spices you can while you drink it. As with herbal tea bags, it'll get stronger as you get towards the end. Fennel in particular is really at its best after a good 10-20 minute steep.

The more considered way 

Into a saucepan put fennel (again, fronds or flowers), whatever other sweet spices you choose, plus a teaspoonful or two of sugar or honey.  (A really good handful of material, with about two cups of water covering will work.)  

Let the brew simmer - with a lid on - for around 20 minutes. Turn it off. 

Add in your black tea and let it steep for another five minutes. 

Lastly, add a capful or so of vanilla if you have it.

You can strain the syrup into a jar or bottle, keep it in the fridge, and get it out to make chai whenever you want. Put two or three centimetres in the bottom of a cup, and add water or your favourite milk.

You likely won't get it exactly as you like it first time, and that's okay. Chai is a journey!