Chai Ward

It’s February at last …2019 is moving … January did feel like a long pause didn’t it, but maybe we needed that … Anyway the month of love is here!!

Yes February 14^this Saint Valentines Day, a day where you show your love and appreciation to your sweet heart. Box of chocolate and roses is not the only way, an act of kindness will do. I would rather my husband deal with the boys bedtime routine and order sushi or chicken tikka for dinner.

Today Valantines Day has extended to showing your love to everyone from your family to partner, friend, even to your pet. Whomever you show your love and appreciation to this year say it wholeheartedly and unashamedly with all your being. What is more beautiful and courageous than to express your gratitude, attraction, attachment, support, desire and acceptance of a person? Isn’t that what love really means?

Open your heart to happiness and making other happy. Yes it may feel scary and vulnerable but what is the point of living if it is not speaking the truth and giving the most precious thing you could to anyone, giving them yourself… giving them your love.

I love love. In it’s all its forms. It can be complex and simple it can be intoxicating and painful. But without it we cannot function. Plus I believe it’s the answer to most things. Like all the cliché songs that hold some grain of truth love does build a bridge and it is the key and is the way.

Love is not a concept it’s an action. So show your love this Valentines day by making my special Chai Ward? It will tickle all your sensory organs and make you feel love.

Chai Ward in Arabic means Rose Tea, it is made from delicate rose petals and aromatic loose tealeaves that are stimulated with cardamom pods.

I cannot guarantee that this tea is an aphrodisiac but I can assure you that it will make you smile and your taste buds will dance excitedly. This tea has healing properties as there are many benefits to rose petals, one being a detoxifier, immune booster and it has high level of vitamin C and E.

This tea is a tradition Iraqi recipe that uses Assam tealeaves and cardamom along with rose petals. Black tea with subtle flavor is used so it is not over powering, you need to balance the strong fragrance of rose. Therefore a harmony of these 3 strong flavors are beautifully created.

I mixed this tea myself to what I believed to be a good balance. If you rather increase the rose ratio to tea then do so. It really depends on your taste. This is a tea and not an infusion, so you can remove the tea and cardamom altogether if you want pure rose tea infusion.

This mix is for a small jar, use one full tablespoonful for a pot which will serve 4 to 6 people. You can add more water if you want a mild taster tea.

Ingredients

8 cardamom pods or 3 teaspoonful of crushed cardamom

6 tablespoonsful of dried rose petals

4 tablespoons of tealeaves (Ceylon or Assam or English Breakfast)

Method

Step 1- Mix rose petals, tealeaves and cardamom pods together. Place in a jar.

Step 2- Take one full tablespoonful of mixture and place in a tea pot.

Step 3- Pour boiling water into teapot and let it brew for 5 minutes.

Step 4- Serve tea hot and enjoy

Note : rose petals are edible, so don’t worry if you find one in your cup.

Fall in love with this delicate beautiful tea and share it with your apple of your chai (!) this Valentines Day (or any other day).

Good news if you are in Paris; You can drink my tea EXCLUSIVLLY at Boneshaker Doughnut (77 Rue d’Aboukir, 75002 Paris) today till the end of the month. Go in and ask for Love Potion ♯9, follow them on social media to find out more. I am really excited to offer you the opportunity to taste this tea at Boneshaker. They are truly the best doughnut sellers in Paris with quality sourced seasonal ingredients and fresh dough that is baked insight daily. You can also buy cinnamon rolls, brownies as well as delicious coffee and drinks. They cater for vegans too. Look out for their valentine special doughnuts. Each month Boneshaker do a special menu, they are very creative with flavour I mean have you tried peach and basil glazed doughnut ? or caramel popcorn ? or Matcha glaze doughnut? mmmmmmm delicious .. Two years in a row they served my watermelon drink recipe (search for it on my blog) and now my tea, I feel so LOVED and blessed.