Spiced Tea

Masala Chai

A far cry from the so-called chai drinks sold at chain coffee shops in the United States, this sweet, milky tea gets its invigorating piney fragrance from the crushed pods of green cardamom.

½ cup evaporated milk

5 tsp. sugar

6 black tea bags

5 pods green cardamom, crushed

Makes 4½ cups

Bring milk, sugar, tea, cardamom, and 4 cups water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain and serve hot.

Precious Pods

Of the two main varieties of cardamom, green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is the one that’s more common. Its floral perfume penetrates all sorts of invigorating beverages, both hot and cold, from Indian masala chai and frothy yogurt lassis to potent Turkish coffee; many gins are flavored with it, too, and some bartenders keep a bottle of simple syrup infused with cardamom on hand for mixing into cocktails. It brightens chicken curries throughout South Asia and dozens of Scandinavian sweets and pastries, like pulla, a braided challah-like loaf, and semlor, Finnish cream puffs filled with rich cardamom-scented pastry cream. Green cardamom pods are small and oval, containing tiny black seeds that are crushed or ground to release their sweet, eucalyptus-like fragrance. Its cousin, black cardamom (Amomum subulatum), which grows in much larger, brown pods, is smoky and bold from drying over wood fires. It’s perfect for infusing earthy depth into a Pakistani lamb biriyani or other roasted meats as well as full-flavored stews. Both spices are grown primarily in India; Guatemala, Costa Rica, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka, too, grow significant quantities of the green variety, while black cardamom also comes from the Himalayan regions of Nepal, China, and Bhutan. For the best flavor, buy the spices whole and grind them yourself in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.