Vanilla Chai Black Tea

I made myself a cup of this last might as a way to unwind from all the Easter celebrations. I followed JacquelineM’s advice to use 6 instead of 8 oz. of water and the end result was a fabulous cup of chai. Thanks, Jacqueline!!!

The tea smelled strongly of vanilla while steeping. The spices were there as well, but they were no where near as intense. This made me hopeful since I really want to taste the vanilla. I took the first sip sans sugar and milk. All I could taste were the licorice and cinnamon with a hint of vanilla at the end. Once the milk and sugar were added the vanilla jumped to the front. Thankfully the licorice mellows significantly, and the amount of spice complements the vanilla well. It was so good. So, so, so much better than my previous cup! This will be the perfect late afternoon tea when I don’t need to snack but I’m desperately craving something sweet.

After a few sips I realized this tea taste like a vanilla spice cake my roommate in college use to bake before final exams. She would bake while quoting economics definitions to herself, and once finals were over she and I would celebrate with cake while we rejoiced or despaired at how we felt we had performed on our tests. Good times.