Trail Chai
A real spice blend instead of a tea bag, and it costs you two ounces.
- calories
- 260
- weight
- 2 oz
- cal / oz
- 130
- protein
- 6 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 1 min
- cook
- 4 min
- total time
- 5 min
- water
- 300 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Drink
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Campfire coals
- Backpacking
- Day hike
- Winter / snow
- Thru-hike
- Vegetarian
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Loose black tea | 1 tbsp | or two bags if you must |
|---|---|---|
| Ground cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove, black pepper | 1 tsp total | blended at home |
| Full fat powdered milk | 3 tbsp | |
| Sugar or jaggery | 2 tbsp |
Method
- Boil 300 ml of water, add the tea and the spice blend, and let it go for three minutes.
- Take it off the heat and stir in the milk powder and sugar.
- Strain through your bandana if you used loose tea and care about the texture. Most people stop caring by day two.
Making the spice blend at home is the whole difference. Pre-ground cardamom loses most of what it has within a few months, so grind it in the week before the trip and it will still be alive on the trail.
Two ounces buys a genuine morning ritual, which on a long trip is worth more than the calories.
Variations
- Skip the tea and the spices, keep the milk powder and sugar, add instant coffee, and you have a passable latte.
- Double the ginger in cold weather.