Chai latte that's neither chai nor a latte discuss
Food substitutions are a depressing topic. Usually you end up with some sad, tasteless mess that in no way satisfies the desire for the original. But I've been craving sweet, spicy, milky chai latte from Starbucks constantly lately, but given that I try to avoid sugar for my diet and straight milk for my lactose intolerance, it's sadly right out for me these days.
Chai is always my favorite tea, but because tea is my go-to for drinking constantly all day, I got worried about the amount of caffeine I'd been consuming. So I settled on drinking a whole lot of Celestial Seasonings' Bengal Spice, which tastes like chai because of the spices, but is actually an herbal. It's cheap too, so basically it's perfect for the freebasing I need to curb my constant impulse to munch.
This week I decided to see if I could fake a chai latte with the stuff. I brewed the tea, then heated some almond milk in a saucepan. I've never liked a dairy substitute before, but I actually do like the taste of it. It's easy to simmer, too, because it doesn't scald easily or get that nasty skin on it like milk sometimes does. Mixing it together, I got something that was not entirely unlike a chai latte! I mean, honestly it doesn't really compare, it doesn't have the flavor or the body, but it's pretty tasty in its own right. I think I will make a habit of this. Maybe I'll just heat the almond milk in the microwave rather than hover on a pan for it, but it would be nice to make it in the morning, pour it in one of my glass milk jugs, and carry it along with me for the day.
Chai is always my favorite tea, but because tea is my go-to for drinking constantly all day, I got worried about the amount of caffeine I'd been consuming. So I settled on drinking a whole lot of Celestial Seasonings' Bengal Spice, which tastes like chai because of the spices, but is actually an herbal. It's cheap too, so basically it's perfect for the freebasing I need to curb my constant impulse to munch.
This week I decided to see if I could fake a chai latte with the stuff. I brewed the tea, then heated some almond milk in a saucepan. I've never liked a dairy substitute before, but I actually do like the taste of it. It's easy to simmer, too, because it doesn't scald easily or get that nasty skin on it like milk sometimes does. Mixing it together, I got something that was not entirely unlike a chai latte! I mean, honestly it doesn't really compare, it doesn't have the flavor or the body, but it's pretty tasty in its own right. I think I will make a habit of this. Maybe I'll just heat the almond milk in the microwave rather than hover on a pan for it, but it would be nice to make it in the morning, pour it in one of my glass milk jugs, and carry it along with me for the day.