I’m about halfway there. I put together a new spice mixture, packed it in a baby food jar for work, and brought in the blank teabags to make myself some chai. I funneled in a teaspoon and a half of the spice/tea mix, sealed up the bag by skewering a wood stirrer through it, then set it to boil in the microwave until something dramatic happened. Well, it happened when the water boiled the teabag open and the thing boiled over in the microwave, making everyone in the office wonder what was that lovely spice smell.
So I’m left wondering if there exists a miniature French press that has no metal so it can be microwaved, or a coffee mug with a built-in strainer for loose teas. Regardless, I think the secret to being your own clandestine in-office chai wallah is boiling in the microwave then adding milk and sugar. Then leaving the kitchen quickly and listening to people guess about the origin of the smell of fresh chai.
Writer, architect, father, husband.