Chaga Chai Latte

I love a good warm latte, especially during the winter months here in Canada.

This Chaga Chai latte is seriously next level. I love the earthy taste of chaga and how nicely it pairs with spices like cinnamon and cardamom to make this drink extra special. I love a good coffee chai latte (“dirty chai”) and this is just the most delicious alternative – chaga!

What is chaga?

Chaga is a mushroom, used for its incredibly healing medicinal properties. Chaga is grown in Canada and is known as “The King of Medicinal Mushrooms” – it has been used in some cultures for years as a natural healer. Chaga tea has an earthy taste with a hint of vanilla, which is why it makes such a great alternative to coffee. But hey, you can have your cake and eat it too – try adding this Chaga Chai tea to your next coffee latte and feel the amazing benefits!

Chaga is known to:

• support the immune system
• support the gut and create a hospital environment for healthy flora
• support cognitive function
• help to normalize blood pressure
• many, many more incredible benefits

How to brew chaga tea:

• Boil 1oz. of dried  chaga mushroom  (can use a powder or dried chunks) in 8 cups of water. Reduce to simmer and let it simmer for 4 hours. This may seem like a long time, but simply set a reminder on your phone and go about your day at home (fold laundry, take a bath, make dinner, etc.). You don’t have to do much besides make sure the water hasn’t evaporated too much. If it has boiled down, simply add more water.
• Once the tea has simmered for 3-4 hours, I like to add in a bag (about 1/4 cup of loose-leaf) chai tea spice mix and let that simmer for another 30 minutes or so. I use this chai tea which has the most amazing therapeutic and anti-inflammatory spices like cardamom, cinnamon bark, nutmeg and cloves. 
• I then recommend turning the heat off and allowing it to cool down. I then transfer it to a large 1L mason jar and store it in the fridge.
• You can reuse the chaga mushroom for 3-4 more batches of tea and the tea should last about a week in the fridge.
• Note: the chai tea does contain caffeine – if you wish to avoid caffeine, I recommend using a caffeine-free rooibos or simply using the chaga tea on its own.

Now onto the good stuff…

Chaga Chai Latte

• 1/2 cup of the Chaga Chai Tea mix
• 1/4 cup homemade almond milk 
• 1/4 tsp. quality cinnamon
• 1 tsp. maple syrup or raw honey, optional
• 1 tbsp. coconut butter, optional

Method

• In a small pot on the stove, heat the chaga tea with the almond milk until hot.
• Add to your Vitamix or high-speed blender with the cinnamon, sweetener of your choice and coconut butter until creamy and frothy.
• Sip slowly and enjoy the incredible benefits of chaga mushroom and spices mixes. 

Did you try this recipe? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Share your creations on Instagram with the hashtag #thepurelife so I can see them.

Love always, Sisley