Sesame Iced Chai Latte

A show-stopping layered iced chai latte built on a rich, deeply spiced black tea concentrate and crowned with a swirled tahini milk foam. The nutty, creamy sesame cuts through the sweetness of the chai spices in a way that makes every sip genuinely interesting. The foam is made by shaking the tahini milk mixture in a sealed jar — it will be pale beige rather than the dramatic smoky gray you'd get with black sesame paste, but the flavor is still deliciously nutty and satisfying, and the tahini helps the foam hold its structure. Using a loose-leaf chai blend in the concentrate deepens the spice profile further — taste early and strain to your liking to keep everything balanced.

Ingredients

• water – 1 cup
• whole black peppercorns – 1/2 tsp
• whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed – 8 pods
• whole cloves – 4 cloves
• cinnamon stick – 1 stick
• fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced – 4 thin slices
• star anise – 1 whole
• loose-leaf chai blend – 1 tbsp
• light brown sugar – 2 tbsp

• whole milk (or oat milk) – 1/2 cup
• tahini – 1 tbsp
• granulated sugar – 1 tsp
• fine sea salt – 1 pinch

• ice cubes – 1 cup per glass
• whole milk or oat milk – 1/3 cup per glass
• ground cinnamon, for dusting – 1 pinch
• black sesame seeds, for garnish (save extra for snacking) – 1/2 tsp per glass

Instructions

1. Make the chai concentrate: combine the water, peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger, and star anise in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes — you want the spices to open up and the liquid to look deeply amber.
2. Add the loose-leaf chai blend and brown sugar to the saucepan, stir to dissolve the sugar, and steep off the heat for 4 minutes. Because the chai blend already carries its own spices, taste at the 3-minute mark and strain as soon as it hits your preferred strength — chai blends can turn bitter and overly spiced faster than plain black tea. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof container, pressing gently on the leaves, then let cool to room temperature and refrigerate until completely cold (at least 30 minutes).
3. Make the sesame foam: whisk together the milk, tahini, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until the tahini is fully dissolved with no streaks — tahini can be a little thicker than black sesame paste, so give it an extra few seconds if needed. Pour the mixture into a mason jar or any jar with a tight-fitting lid, filling it no more than halfway to leave room for the foam to expand. Seal the lid tightly and shake vigorously for 45–60 seconds until the mixture has roughly doubled in volume and looks thick and foamy. Remove the lid carefully and immediately spoon the foam off the top — work quickly, as the foam will begin to settle after a minute or two. Note that the foam will be pale beige rather than gray. Set aside.
4. Assemble each glass: fill a tall glass generously with ice. Pour 1/3 cup cold whole milk over the ice first — this creates the pale bottom layer. Then slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the chilled chai concentrate over the back of a spoon held just above the milk so it floats as a dark, distinct layer above.
5. Spoon the sesame foam generously over the top of the chai layer. It should sit as a thick, pale beige cloud. Dust with a pinch of ground cinnamon and scatter a few black sesame seeds over the foam for contrast. Serve immediately with a wide straw so your first sip pulls through all three layers.