Chai ya Tangawizi (Kenyan Ginger Tea)

A recipe for Chai ya Tangawizi (Kenyan Ginger Tea)! This comforting tea is lightly simmered with ginger, milk, and warming spices.

I first came across the idea for this Chai ya Tangawizi (Kenyan Ginger Tea) recipe over on All Kenyan Recipes (no longer active). It is such a delicious drink requiring only a handful of ingredients and a few minutes.

There are a few different ways to prepare the tea, from simply steeping ginger and tea leaves with water to this extra creamy version with warming mixture of spices. 

Strong black tea leaves are combined with crushed fresh ginger (Tangawizi in Swahili), cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and sugar, then simmered for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Add milk during the last couple of minutes and continue to simmer just until everything is heated through.

Adjust the flavors to taste before straining and serve the Tangawizi Chai while still hot.

A Few Tips

I followed the lead of All Kenyan Recipes and added cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves to the tea. This is an optional, but delicious addition.

I used a mortar and pestle to crush the ginger slices before adding to the water. If unavailable, you can also grate the fresh ginger.

Adjust the sugar to taste. I added 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, but bump up to 1/3-1/2 cup (67-100 grams) for a sweeter tea.

After adding the milk, keep an eye on the saucepan and adjust the heat as needed to prevent the mixture from boiling over.

If the ginger is too strong, add a little more milk. If avoiding milk, swap for a non-dairy option.

After simmering, strain the tea through a fine mesh sieve to catch all the pieces of ginger and spices.

The Chai ya Tangawizi is best served warm shortly after preparing. It would be delicious paired with Mahamri (Coconut and Cardamom Doughnuts) or Kaimati (Kenyan Fried Sweet Dumplings).

Looking for more tea recipes?

Try my:

• Teh Tarik (Malaysian Pulled Tea)
• Aynar (Lebanese Spiced Tea)
• Sudanese Cinnamon Tea

This recipe was originally posted in May 2017 and updated in December 2022.

Chai ya Tangawizi (Kenyan Ginger Tea) Recipe

Adapted from All Kenyan Recipes

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5 from 5 votes

Chai ya Tangawizi (Kenyan Ginger Tea)

A recipe for Chai ya Tangawizi (Kenyan Ginger Tea)! This comforting tea is lightly simmered with ginger, milk, and warming spices.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Kenyan

Keyword Africa, African, beverage, drink, ginger, Kenya, Kenyan, milk tea, tea

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups (470 milliliters) water
• 2 tablespoons (6 grams) loose leaf Kenyan black tea
• 2 inches (5 centimeters) fresh ginger sliced and crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamom pods crushed
• 4 cloves crushed
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 cups (470 milliliters) milk

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium low and add the tea leaves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and sugar.
• Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
• Stir in the milk and continue to simmer for another 2 minutes.
• Pour through a fine mesh sieve to strain and serve immediately.