Ingredients:

  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 12 green cardamom pods, lightly cracked
  • 1 star anise
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced into thin coins
  • 0.5 cup loose leaf black tea
  • 4 cups filtered water
  • 0.5 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

  1. Place the cinnamon sticks, cracked cardamom, star anise, cloves, and peppercorns in a dry saucepan over medium heat. Toast for 2 minutes until fragrant.
  2. Add 4 cups of filtered water and the fresh ginger coins to the toasted spices. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
  3. Turn off the heat entirely. Stir in the 0.5 cup of loose leaf black tea. Let it steep for exactly 5 minutes until the liquid is a deep, dark mahogany.
  4. Stir in the 0.5 cup of dark brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 0.25 tsp sea salt while the liquid is still warm. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  5. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a glass jar.