Let’s talk Chai
Here at Cardamomma’s, we LOVE chai. But we don’t always make it the same way.
Christoph spent part of his undergraduate studies in south India, at Madras Institute of Technology. There he ate tons of idli and sambar, explored the mountains, but did not enjoy much chai due to his lactose intolerance. Once back in Germany, an indian friend taught him to make his own chai masala, and he began making it with soy milk.
Liberty spent time in Nepal and India during her undergrad and her time in the military. She loved making nepali milk tea (chiya) in the morning, and would help in the kitchen often where she was working.
Due to this, Liberty and Christoph have very different chai tastes. Liberty likes the milk-forward sweet and creamy nepali chiya, while Christoph must have his chai very spicy and with minimal milk.
So, we’re here to tell you about the best places to source chai masala and recipes to suit your tastes.
We usually use Christoph’s chai recipe for Cardamomma’s Chai-tinis, but Liberty has had an excellent nepali chiya Chai Martini at Himalayan Kitchen in Durango. Let us know what you like more and what variants you try!
Chai Acquisition Strategy
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Find this chai in Columbia City, Captiol Hill, or Ballard!
Look out for their chai or coffee soft serve as a monthly offering.
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This is your basic chai. The tea bag has everything you need! Just steep, add milk, and enjoy. This will be tasty and pack a punch when it comes to flavor compared to other black tea/masala chai tea bags.
For the ultimate lazy girl chai, they also have concentrate.
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This is one of the best quality chai masala you can get. Diaspora Co. ensures high-quality, sustainable, and ethical spices are used for their masala. You can watch their Youtube Video on how to make chai You combine with milk of your choice and water.
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This is the BEST option for folks that really want to connect with their food but are space constrained or only using spices for chai, and not other dishes.
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Buy your spices from your local indian grocer, or better yet, book a flight to Kathmandu.
Link to Tokla Gold (disclaimer, I don’t know how to actually buy this outside of Nepal) - but really you can use any Assam tea you can find, such as Diaspora Co’s or tea found in your indian grocery store.
Try your best to imitate this chai walla. Don’t forget to aerate your chai for ultimate creaminess.