If you’re a chai fan, maybe you’ve noticed that every shop and restaurant that serves it seems to have their own unique take on the tea. Some sweeter, some full of ginger, and some smooth and light. After the black tea, sweetener and milk, you can play around with spices to get your chai just the way you like it.

Think of it more like a template than a rigid recipe.

The basics—tea, sweetener and milk

• Black tea—2 tbsp of loose Darjeeling (You can use the Tea Sock for steeping)

• Water—4 cups cold water

• Milk—2-3 cups of dairy or nondairy milk. Choose a rich milk, like whole, coconut, or cashew milk

• Sweetener of choice—1/4 to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup. Use the amount and type you prefer

The spices—use the chai chart

We highly recommend you use whole spices. You’ll need to crush them, but you don’t need to buy a mortar and pestle if you don’t have one. You can use the back of a spoon or a frying pan to gently crush the spices. You don’t need to pulverize them, just lightly crush them to release the oils and flavors.

You’ll be rewarded with a glorious smelling kitchen!

How much to use? That’s up to you—and the results will range from tangy and spicy to mild. We created a handy chart for you!

Put it all together

• Once you’ve selected your spices, lightly crush them with a mortar and pestle or the back of a large spoon, and add them to the cold water in a saucepan.

• Bring to a simmer and let cook for about 10 minutes.

• Add your milk and tea and steep another 5 minutes.

• Remove from the heat and stir in your sweetener until it’s fully dissolved.

• Taste and adjust milk and sweetener to your liking.

Enjoy!