So you’ve tried all sorts of teas in your teatime—teas from fruit, teas with flowers, teas made out of leftovers, and teas in all different colors. But have you sampled spicy teas? Popular in places like India and Morocco, spicy teas add a fun challenge to your teatime routines. Read on a for a host of options to set your taste buds tingling.
Spicy teas can be found all over the world. In India, teas are made with lots of spices, including cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper. Moroccan spicy teas use ginger, red chili, and cloves for a rich flavor. In Indonesia, spicy teas are used to ward off sickness and include ingredients like lemongrass, star anise, and coconut milk.
Spices have a whole range of health benefits. Spicy food and drinks help strengthen your cardiovascular system by stimulating blood flow through the body. They also boost your energy and can help you get over colds. Some have specific health benefits, too—ginger helps relieve nausea, while cinnamon can help reduce inflammation.
Don’t like spices? Not to worry! You can customize each recipe below to the level of spice that you want, or add milk or sweetener to relax the heat while still enjoying the flavor.
Spicy Tea Recipes
Black pepper tea: Originating in India, this is a super simple tea that will add a hint of spice to your teatime and can be modified with lemon juice, honey, or ginger as desired. If you’re feeling a little sickly, this tea can help soothe your sore throat or cough.
Cayenne pepper tea: Want to boost your energy? This tea is will wake you up. It’s easy to make and only requires a few common ingredients. You can even adjust the spice level by adding a bit more sweetener to the tea.
Indonesian bandrek tea: If you’re feeling adventurous and have time to find a few obscure ingredients for your tea, this could be a wonderful way to introduce a different culture to your teatime. Check your local Asian grocery for cheap bulk spices like cinnamon and star anise.
Moroccan khunjul tea: This recipe is a bit of a challenge, since it’s modeled on street drinks from Marrakech. If you can find the spices, though, it will add a lot of flavor and spice to your teatime!
Indian masala chai: This is a classic Indian tea with hints of spiciness that can easily be adjusted by varying the proportions or adding more milk. Freshly ground spices will definitely taste the best, but this recipe can be adjusted according to what you have on hand.
Korean ginger tea: Use up that ginger in the back of your fridge with this recipe! It requires a bit of chopping, but the mixture of ginger and honey is extremely soothing and refreshing.
And that’s it! Those are some ideas for some international ways to add spice to your teatime. If you’ve tried a spicy teatime or have other suggestions for fun variations to add to your teatime, tell us here!
