Sweet Potato + Reishi Chai

As we slip into a new season and the air starts to turn brisk, our bodies and souls begin to crave warm, nourishing comforts. If you are in the postpartum window, your body has even more reason to require hearty liquids like this adapted chai. This elixir includes all of potent and grounding spices of a traditional chai as well as reishi, a super mushroom whose Chinese name lingzhi translates to “herb of spiritual potency”.Reishi is known for it’s anti-inflammatory, anti-stress and restful sleep promoting properties, and also provides a boot of calcium & magnesium. The addition of sweet potato makes this chai thicker and creamier, so it will fill your belly more like a soup than a tea. Additionally, sweet potato is known for it’s hormone balancing properties. Great for new mamas, and anyone else who needs a functional, warm comfort on a cool day. Enjoy!

RECIPE: 

2 cinnamon quills 

15 whole cloves

15 cardamom pods

1 tsp fennel seeds

15 whole peppercorns

2-inch chunk fresh ginger

1/4 c dried reishi slices (If using reishi powder, you will need much less, approx 1-2 tbsp) 

1 medium sweet potato 

2 tablespoons honey, or maple syrup for vegan option

1/3 cup full fat coconut milk or other milk of choice 

METHOD

Peel and slice a medium sweet potato and steam until soft; remove from heat and set aside. Crush cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle before adding to a medium sized saucepan with cloves, cardamom, fennel, ginger and peppercorns. Break dried reishi strips into a few smaller pieces and add to saucepan. Fill saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 20-25 minutes and then turn off heat and let steep for approx. 10-15 more minutes. Strain chai and then transfer into blender with steamed sweet potato, coconut milk and sweetener of choice. Blend, top with some more ground cinnamon if you like and enjoy!

– by Emma Rogers