By Val the Cookie Queen of APJ
I have a fairly tough workout regime twice a week at the moment. There are of course a host of post-workout drinks and shakes to chose from, most of them bordering on the unpleasant, at least taste-wise. I am usually ready to pass out at the end of my program and want something that has a hit and kicks in immediately. Which is why I started to make and take my own post workout drink. Simple as that. It literally brings me back to life, believe me.
There is no correct recipe for chai masala or spiced chai. You can use cloves, star anise and cinnamon but I don’t care for so many spices all at once, and I actively dislike cinnamon in a drink. And in perfume. Yuck.
Cookie Queen´S CHAI – this makes about a liter
Ingredients:
Fresh ginger. About two inches of root, grated
8 Green cardamom pods
20 Black peppercorns
5 Tea bags or loose black tea. (I use bog standard PG Tips bags)
A good 250mls of milk
Sugar to taste
Crush the cardamom pods and black pepper in a pestle and mortar, or whatever you have to hand to do the job.
Grate the ginger.
Put about a liter of cold water into a pan. Chuck in the crushed cardamom and pepper and bring to the boil.
Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, more if you want. It will smell divine, and might make you sneeze.
Throw in the grated ginger root. Keep it simmering for another 10 minutes.
Add the milk.
Bring it to the boil, watching it so that it doesn´t boil over your stovetop, but hopefully you have used a big enough pan!
Throw in the teabags. Let it simmer until you have a good deep tan colour, probably about three minutes.
You will then need to pour it through a decent sized strainer over another saucepan or a bowl and strain the whole lot, pushing down on all the stuff to get every last bit of goodness out.
Sugar to taste. This chai needs to be really sweet, you can decide yourself though.
Sip slowly and enjoy the immediate kick.
Deadlift Bussis
CQ
A Bottled Rose 
I have tried and never managed to develop a taste for chai, though my friend Gillie is a big lover of it and believer in its therapeutic properties. I can well believe that it just hits the spot after your workouts – ‘fairly tough’, hahaha. And that has to be the definitive recipe for the stuff, just as you are the definitive deadlifter extraordinaire!
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Hi Mme B. I remember you saying that you don’t like chai. I dunno about the definitive recipe – but it sure as heck packs a punch. And I need it to revive me before driving home. But you know, a decent Builder`s Brew would so the same I reckon. Hugs. xxxxx
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I love chai but, as much as I hate exercising, I think I would rather do that then making my own chai. So I double-admire you :).
I thought I was the only one who disliked cinnamon. It’s interesting that you – a Cookie Queen, no less, don’t like it either.
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Hi there Undina! What? You would sooner exercise than make chai? Chai is so easy. Yeeeeeeees! Cinnamon sucks, and makes chai taste like a liquid American baked something or another. The overdose of cinnamon found in the US makes me gag. I do use it in carrot cakes, but only a small amount, preferring allspice. And as for cinnamon in perfume? It is one of those notes that I can detect at a distance and I don’t care for it. At all. Nice that we agree on that. 😉 xxxxxxxxx
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I can’t bear cinnamon in perfume either. It’s way to strident.
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It is. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to smell of the stuff but clearly they do. ☺️
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Thirded. I LOATHE the taste of cinnamon. So not at all keen on the smell.
But cardanom-nom-nom? Oh yes.
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Hey Crikey! I can feel a cinnamon questionnaire coming on. Yeah. I love cardamom too. It‘s about as fragrant and sensual as a spice can be. They served cardamom infused strong black coffee in the Ethiopian restaurant I used to go to. Oh man …… Hugs. Xxxx
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Wow, that sounds to be a powerful brew ! I will make it for after yoga on Sunday – however, I will have a „tame“ version of it. And will leave out the sugar, which I don’t like, and replace it with cinnamon, which I seem to be alone to love…
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Hey LJG. ❤️
Of course you can make it your own! And it is fine without sugar too. I need the sugar after my workout, believe me. Yeah – cinnamon and the hatred of. Might make an interesting post. Very nice to see you. Mwah. 💋
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As you know I love cinnamon – the real thing, from Ceylon. My dreaded spice is clove !
I had big expectations on Musc Ravageur, but then I couldn‘t detect the musc… That doesn‘t change anything on the fact that it was done very well, as almost everything from the Edition of the great man, Monsieur Malle.
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