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West African Spiced Tea

Serves 4 to 6 Beverage vegan, Beverages

West African Spiced Tea

West African Spiced Tea is a cherished home staple, crafted with a touch of intuition and heart. It’s a familiar scene across the region to see families gather around steaming cups, the tea offering warmth and comfort. Each household has its own hand-measured way of balancing salt and spice, making every pot unique to the cook's touch. This recipe captures the essence of those home-cooked gatherings, where the tea becomes a centerpiece for sharing stories and laughter.

Expect a harmonious blend of robust tea leaves mingling with the boldness of spices, rounded off with a hint of sweetness. The tea should feel like an embrace, with warmth spreading from your fingertips to your core. It's not just a drink, but a living tradition, poured and enjoyed in the company of those you hold dear.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsptea leaves
  • 500 mlwater
  • to tastespices
  • to tastesugar

Method

  1. Start by bringing 500 ml of water to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan. Use a saucepan with a lid to help retain the heat and aromas. The water should be at a rolling boil, with bubbles consistently breaking the surface.
  2. Once the water is boiling, add 2 tbsp of tea leaves to the saucepan. Stir gently with a spoon to ensure the leaves are fully submerged. This step allows the tea leaves to release their flavors and aromas into the water.
  3. Add your chosen spices to taste. Common spices include ginger, cloves, or cinnamon, but feel free to adjust based on your preference. Stir again gently to combine, ensuring the spices are evenly distributed throughout the tea.
  4. Allow the tea to simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. The tea is ready when it has a rich, deep color and the aroma of the spices is fully developed. Avoid over-steeping as it can make the tea bitter.
  5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the tea into a teapot or directly into serving glasses. Use a fine mesh strainer to catch all the tea leaves and spices, ensuring a smooth drink.
  6. Sweeten the tea to taste with sugar, stirring until fully dissolved. Taste the tea and adjust the sweetness as needed, keeping in mind that the sugar should enhance, not overpower, the spiced flavors.
  7. Serve the spiced tea immediately in traditional glassware if available. The tea is best enjoyed hot, allowing the full complexity of the spices to be appreciated.
Cover of Authentic West African Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic West African Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic West African Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the West African volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Available soon on Amazon…

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