Rooibos Chai Syrup(South Africa) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons red rooibos tea leaves
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, split open (or 1 vanilla bean) (optional)
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger powder
3 cardamom pods, split and crushed
2 cups cold water
1/2 cup raw honey

Preparation

To make the chai syrup:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cover with a lid. Simmer on medium-low for 1/2 hour to 1 hour or until the mixture reduces to a syrup(mine was not real syrupy, I simmered 1 hour). Then strain the mixture through a fine sieve (discarding solids) into a clean jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
How to use the chai syrup:
Simply mix 1 teaspoon to up to 1 tablespoon of the chai syrup into hot milk(I use almond milk) and serve. Or mix in a teaspoon to a tablespoon of the syrup into hot water for a great chai tea.