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. 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?
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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)
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.
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
This tea sounds amazing. I love that it’s creamy.
Brandi Crawford
I didn’t know Kenya was a huge tea exporter. This looks delicious!
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
Love Kenyan ginger tea. Nice to see some great African recipes
Kristina @ Love & Zest
This looks amazingly creamy and delicious. With all those spices in there, how could it not be?!
Edyta/Innocent Delight
This tea sounds amazing. I/d love to have it right now.
Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C
I love creamy teas, and this sounds so good! And, if it has health benefits, even better. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Mpimpa
Lovely tea and guess what it removes all the gas from your system. I just loved it
Vera
My favorite tea😊 Such a nice surprise to see a Kenyan recipe!
Tara
Thank you Vera!
cyndy
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!
Charles
I love Ginger! So this tea has amazing health benefits! Thank you for sharing!
Shadi
I was looking for a recipe with ginger, thank you for sharing! I can’t wait to try this tea!
Kim
Looks so easy and delicious! We are huge chai tea fans and this is just perfect to make at home!
Nicolette
I will make this with oat milk!! So much flavor.