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Chai ya Tangawizi (Kenyan Ginger Tea)

5 December, 2022 by Tara 14 Comments

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

Chai Ya Tangawizi (Kenyan Ginger Tea) in a clear tea cup with cinnamon and ginger in the background.

I first came across the idea for this Chai ya Tangawizi (Kenyan Ginger Tea) recipe over on All Kenyan Recipes. 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

Aerial view of crushed ginger in a mortar and pestle.

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
Close up of Chai Ya Tangawizi (Kenyan Ginger Tea) in two clear tea cups with ginger and cinnamon in the background.

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

Chai Ya Tangawizi (Kenyan Ginger Tea) in a glass cup with ginger and cinnamon in the background.
Print Pin
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
Cook Time 5 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 15 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.
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Filed Under: Beverages, Middle Eastern/African

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook

    30 May, 2017 at 9:09 am

    This tea sounds amazing. I love that it’s creamy.

    Reply
  2. Brandi Crawford

    30 May, 2017 at 12:11 pm

    I didn’t know Kenya was a huge tea exporter. This looks delicious!

    Reply
  3. Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry

    30 May, 2017 at 11:29 am

    Love Kenyan ginger tea. Nice to see some great African recipes

    Reply
  4. Kristina @ Love & Zest

    30 May, 2017 at 11:47 am

    This looks amazingly creamy and delicious. With all those spices in there, how could it not be?!

    Reply
  5. Edyta/Innocent Delight

    30 May, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    This tea sounds amazing. I/d love to have it right now.

    Reply
  6. Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C

    30 May, 2017 at 12:32 pm

    I love creamy teas, and this sounds so good! And, if it has health benefits, even better. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
  7. Mpimpa

    1 March, 2019 at 6:12 am

    Lovely tea and guess what it removes all the gas from your system. I just loved it

    Reply
  8. Vera

    11 November, 2022 at 12:06 pm

    My favorite tea😊 Such a nice surprise to see a Kenyan recipe!

    Reply
    • Tara

      13 November, 2022 at 5:04 pm

      Thank you Vera!

      Reply
  9. cyndy

    5 December, 2022 at 6:04 pm

    5 stars
    It’s cold and rainy here today and this tea sounds super cozy and flavorful. And, the scent from all of the spices will be amazing!

    Reply
  10. Charles

    5 December, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    5 stars
    I love Ginger! So this tea has amazing health benefits! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  11. Shadi

    5 December, 2022 at 7:16 pm

    5 stars
    I was looking for a recipe with ginger, thank you for sharing! I can’t wait to try this tea!

    Reply
  12. Kim

    5 December, 2022 at 8:25 pm

    5 stars
    Looks so easy and delicious! We are huge chai tea fans and this is just perfect to make at home!

    Reply
  13. Nicolette

    5 December, 2022 at 8:42 pm

    5 stars
    I will make this with oat milk!! So much flavor.

    Reply

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