Blue Lotus Chai
Ingredients
1 tablespoon dried blue lotus flowers (Nymphaea caerulea, ensure it's a culinary grade)
2 cups soy milk
1 black tea bag or 1 teaspoon loose black tea leaves
1 small cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
2 whole cloves
1 small slice of fresh ginger
A pinch of black pepper
Honey or another sweetener to taste
Instructions
Start by steeping the blue lotus flowers in a cup of hot water for 5 to 7 minutes. This helps to extract the subtle flavors and properties of the flowers. After steeping, strain the flowers and set the blue lotus water aside.
In a saucepan, gently heat the soy milk without bringing it to a boil.
Add the cinnamon stick, crushed cardamom pods, whole cloves, slice of ginger, and a pinch of black pepper to the soy milk
Let the spices simmer in the soy milk on low heat for about 10 minutes. Be careful to avoid boiling, as it can alter the taste and consistency of soy milk.
Add the black tea bag or loose tea leaves to the saucepan and let it steep for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea.
After the tea has steeped, remove the tea bag or strain the loose leaves, and then pour the spiced soy milk into the blue lotus water.
Sweeten the chai with honey or your preferred sweetener to taste.
Strain the mixture to remove the whole spices and ginger and serve hot.
Blue lotus has a history of use in traditional medicine but also has psychoactive properties. It's important to source it responsibly and use it with care.
