Chai Honey Recipe: Instant Herbal Tea

Herbal teas are a delicious way to get the goodness of herbs on a daily basis. The downside is they only last a few days in the fridge and aren’t as shelf-stable as other options. This chai honey recipe, though, is a convenient way to have honey chai tea whenever you want, without gathering a bunch of spices every time.

I love herbal honeys and use them for herbal teas, meat dishes, and even to help induce sleep. They last for about a year and don’t need to be refrigerated. For this chai honey recipe, all you need is a spoonful of chai infused honey and some hot liquid to make a tasty drink.

 

The Afternoon Slump

Many reach for an afternoon coffee or candy bar to keep their energy up during the day. Chai honey makes a great afternoon pick me up, without all the refined sugar. Raw honey provides a boost of energy, while the spices increase circulation and decrease inflammation for better brain performance.

According to one PhD, cinnamon stimulates new neurons in the brain and helps protect existing ones. Other stimulating spices in this chai honey recipe have similar effects on brain health. The better our brain functions, the more energy we have and the more mental clarity to accomplish tasks.

 

Chai Honey Tea on the Go

It’s hard to find healthy options on the road when we’re looking to conventional grocery stores and big chain coffee shops. Whether you’re camping in the woods or traveling highways, a jar of chai honey is a quick way to get a tasty hot drink. Bring a jar along with you on the trip and all you need is some hot water to turn it into honey chai tea.

 

Chai Spices

Traditional chai originated in the region of India thousands of years ago and has evolved over the years. Different regions used slightly different spices, but in general warming herbs are used. Not only do warming spices increase circulation and boost brain health, but they improve digestion and flush out excess mucus. Let’s take a look at the spices in our chai honey recipe…

Cinnamon

This spice can be found in many common foods, from the classic apple pie to oatmeal at breakfast. Cinnamon provides energy and helps us digest fatty or cold foods, especially dairy – a mucus producing food. It has the same effect on mucus from colds and flu, helping relieve cough and congestion.

I like reaching for cinnamon during illness because it’s also antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. It helps break up mucus and get it out of the body. For women, it helps to relax the uterine muscles for less painful periods.

Coriander

If you’ve ever grown cilantro, then you’ve also grown coriander. This is the seed of the cilantro plant and it has a lemony taste that brightens up dishes and drinks. It’s not found as often in many conventional chai mixes, but it blends so well with the other chai spices to create unity.

Like cinnamon, coriander aids digestion issues of all kinds. Hippocrates reportedly said that all disease begins in the gut, and we see the evidence of this all around us. Spices like coriander help restore digestion and improve gut health. This brings the body back into balance, fighting inflammation and disease.

Coriander is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and an antioxidant. It helps calm spasms and soothes the nervous system.

Clove

The tantalizing spicy smell of clove creates a welcoming environment. I put a pinch in my dandelion mocha recipe and use it in both savory and sweet dishes alike. Like the other spices featured here, clove is antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and aids digestion. Clove helps expel mucus, provides a mild numbing effect for pain, and is popular for toothaches.

Dairy-rich foods, like a creamy honey chai tea, can make us feel phlegmy and congested. Clove helps combat this issue and opens the sinuses.

Cardamom

Another honey chai tea favorite, cardamom adds a spicy, earthy flavor to the drink. It’s also a warming spice that dispels dampness and improves digestion. Cardamom is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and a tonic spice. It helps relieve spasms and soothes the nervous system.

Ginger

Ginger gives pep to pumpkin pie, gingerbread cookies, and homemade ginger ale. It works wonderfully in this chai honey recipe. Ginger improves digestive complaints, especially all things nausea related. Ginger is truly the wonder spice and tackles issues from flu and sore throat to menstrual cramps and pancreas health.

This spice is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant, and helps expel mucus, among other things.

Black Pepper

Last but not least we have black pepper. Found in restaurants and homes across the globe it’s become as common as salt. Black pepper is anything but common though and has been a prized spice for thousands of years. A little sprinkle on food aids digestion, stimulates circulation, and drains congestion.

A 2013 research paper reports how black pepper works synergistically with other herbal compounds in a formula. Adding black pepper to spices like turmeric or honey chai tea increases the absorption of the other nutrients.

I would love to hear from you! What’s your favorite way to drink herbal chai? What benefits have you noticed? Please share in the comments below.