Choo Choo Cha Boogie Chai

When my sister was in late elementary school she participated in many school musicals and dramas. One in particular that makes its way up into the forefront of my mind quite frequently, still, is one that took place on or around a train in the 1920s or 30s. Really, the only thing I remember about it is the song that the kids all sang that was accompanied by a little jig involving them all standing in a line and moving their bent arms in unison while at the same time stepping in a coordinated motion. Hard to picture, perhaps, but the song went something like this: “Choo Choo, Choo Choo, Cha Boogie. Whoo Whoo, Whoo Whoo, Cha Boogie.”

Now, with that said (and thank you for hanging in there with me…), I must exclaim that this post has absolutely nothing at all to do with trains, except for my overwhelming desire to use alliteration here in the naming of what this post is even about! I built a Chai Tea concentrate today, modified from a blend that a friend once introduced me to, and the only catchy name I can come up with is Choo Choo Cha Boogie Chai.

And, I’m going to stick with that because I think that will be memorable, as well it should be, this concentrate is delicious! It is a lovely balance between the spice you’d expect from a Chai and sweet that takes the edge off of it. The concentrate makes it easy to store and then convenient to combine with hot milk for a Chai Tea Latte or with cold milk for an “iced” version.

Here’s what you’ll need:

8 cups water

10 black tea bags – I used Tazo Awake Tea

2 tsp. whole cloves

3 tsp. cinnamon powder

10 peppercorns

8 all-spice berries

1 cup raw sugar

Then here’s how it comes together:

Boil the water and add the tea bags, spices and sugar. Let simmer on low for one hour. Remove all of the tea bags and spices through a mesh colander and store airtight in the refrigerator. When serving, simply use equal parts tea concentrate and milk. (If you happen to have a milk frother, you should certainly use it, because it perfectly finishes off the drink, making you feel sophisticated and complete!)

P.S. For your viewing enjoyment, check out these additional photos to whet your palate: