Moon Time Balance: Spicy Luna Chai

Happy full moon y’all! We figured it was about time we gave you our now not-so-secret recipe of chai concentrate. We love making this blend because it is contains many of our favorite herbal allies, and beats anything you can buy at the coffee shop! Along with the classic chai spices, we like to add in some additional herbs for extra plant power. In this recipe we will also go over what in herbalism is called a decoction. Feel free to add in any of these medicinal herbs listed directly below to enhance the basic chai concentrate recipe at the bottom of this article.

VITEX.

This is our favorite addition to the blend, and really why we like to call it a “Luna Chai.” Chaste tree berry, also known as Vitex angus-castus, is often used to balance out hormones (especially for womyn’s cycles) by supporting the pituitary gland, a major gland involved in hormone production. We suggest looking into using this herb for any hormone imbalances, including issues around menstrual irregularity.

1 tablespoon of berries to decoct in with the blend. 

DANDELION ROOT.

This plant is sometimes mis-labeled as a weed when really it is a powerful herbal ally. The root, herb and flower can all be used as a food or as medicine. Dandelion is a mild bitter, great for the digestive system, the liver and therefore the skin! The roasted roots are so yummy, but more medicine can be gained from the root un-roasted, in it’s pure form.

1 tablespoon of root into the blend. 

ASTRAGALUS.

Astragalus is a deeply nourishing root that has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine to energize the system. In modern times we refer to is as an “adaptogen,” which basically means it helps the body to resist stress and come into a more balanced state. We use it on a regular basis when our bodies' are feeling depleted and we need to boost our immune systems. Astragalus is traditionally added to tonic soups, though we put it in curries, zoom balls, chai tea and anything else we can get away with!

a few slices of the root to the blend.

INGREDIENTS.

(this is for the basic recipe, feel free to add in any of the herbs listed above)

6 cups of healing water

3 1/2 tblspns of rooibos tea

2 cinnamon sticks

2 inch thumb of ginger, sliced

13 cloves

10 cardamom pods

3 star anise

1 tblspn of vanilla extract

3-4 tablespoon of local honey, or more to taste!

METHOD.

Pour the water into a large pot with a lid, bring the water to a boil, and then reduce it down to a simmer. Add in everything except the rooibos tea, honey and vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to decoct for 20 minute or more, covered. The last five to ten minutes add your rooibos tea. Once you turn the burner off, add the vanilla extract and honey.

After your luna chai has cooled down, strain out the herbs and bottle it up in a quart sized mason jar to enjoy throughout the week.

You can serve the beverage hot or cold, 1:1 with a milk of your choice. We hope you feel inspired to add your own twist to this recipe, and use whatever herbs are calling to you.