Photo: Jennifer Iserloh, Skinny Chef.
Ginger is the base for this really aromatic chai tea. Hot, spicy and astringent, it adds a great deal of flavor to every beverage or dish, and the root can keep for weeks chilled in your vegetable drawer. Add it to scallions and garlic to make a flavorful base for any Asian dish, including stir-fries, soups and noodle dishes. Grate it into blended canned tomatoes for a gorgeous sauce to serve with chicken or fish.
Although you can find ginger almost anywhere -- from your local deli to the fanciest gourmet food shops -- there are a few things you should always look for. Make sure you pick a root with a firm, smooth skin without wrinkles or withered ends. The flesh inside should be crisp and lemony yellow, without any browning. To peel it, you can use a potato peeler or the edge of a spoon, but for this chai recipe there's no need to peel at all, since you'll strain the mixture before serving it.
Ginger is not only delicious, but well-known as a folk remedy against motion sickness (especially seasickness) when consumed raw. In addition, ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols that can help lessen the pain of arthritis and also has anti-bacterial properties that make it a good match for raw foods, like sushi.
As I've been documenting here for the past several months, when Border's completely switches over to Seattle's Best, the chai is going to (along with the coffee, the pastries, the sandwiches, etc, etc). And this is devastating to me, because there's no other chai like it in the world. The Seattle's Best/Starbucks chai is...well, let's just say it's just not as good.
