Name: London Fog Tea Latte
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1½ teaspoons Earl Grey tea leaves; 1 green cardamom pod , cracked; ½ cup hot water (208 degrees); ½ cup dairy or plant-based milk; ¼–½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Why This Recipe Works

Bergamot is a lime-looking but orange- tasting citrus fruit native to Italy, and it's the ingredient in Earl Grey tea that gives it such a distinctive flavor. That citrus oil provides a floral complexity to the tea, so we combined two potent spices to complement that floral nature: rich vanilla extract and aromatic cardamom pods. The vanilla provided sweet flavor without the additional sweetness, while cardamom pods gave the tea an earthy-spiced note.

Before You Begin

To turn this drink into a latte, we preferred the simplicity of a saucepan and a whisk to create our steamed milk, but any method will do. Any type of dairy or nondairy milk will work here; soy milk will yield less foam, so we recommend using an immersion blender.

Instructions

Add tea and cardamom pod to tea infuser or tea sachet. Steep tea mixture with hot water in teacup, covered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat milk and vanilla in small saucepan over medium heat until it registers 140 to 155 degrees, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk vigorously to create dense foam on top, about 2 minutes.

Remove tea infuser and slowly pour frothed milk over tea, spooning remaining foam over top. Serve immediately.