Ingredients

• 2 cups filtered water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 inch piece vanilla pod, split open lengthwise
• 2 star anise
• 1/4 teaspoon anise seed
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons loose black tea leaves (read *NOTE) or 2 tea bags (read *NOTE)
• 2 cups milk (soy milk is good, too) or 2 cups rice milk (soy milk is good, too)
• honey, for sweetening, to taste (I prefer honey to sweeten my chai but I also like cane sugar-aka Sucanat)
• 3 -4 saffron threads
• 1/2 teaspoon minced cardamom pod, slightly crushed