The kick of cinnamon feels like a ray of sunlight first peeking over the horizon, and the wisps of steam that curl into the air carry soft scents of ginger and cardamom. From the second that I first discovered chai, I loved it. It all started in my mother’s cookbook, filled to the brim with newspaper clippings, curry stains and scribbles of notes in the margins. When I was eight-years-old, I discovered a bag of spices in the back of a cupboard, labeled “Masala Chai.” When I grabbed the mortar and pestle and brought water to a boil atop the stove, our journey began. Now, chai and I have stood side by side for years. I look for chai everywhere that I go; it is a consistent connection to culture and community.
Chai is everpresent, easy to find in the plethora of Portland coffee shops. In this review, I will highlight local, BIPOC owned chai, noting what is unique about each drink, what is different, and what I appreciate. Overall, this will be a celebration of the culture and community that chai represents. To me, chai is a celebration.
*Also spelled “chaiwallah,” a chaiwala is a person who makes and sells chai in the small stores and streets of India.*
Cafe Diaspora:
There is a heartfelt note from the chaiwala on the side of the bottle of concentrate, sharing the cultural significance of the beverage to its creator, Sam Khaute. An immigrant from India himself, Khaute ensures that the cafe employs refugees and immigrants, providing them with English training and a first job experience. The love and community present in the cafe are present in the chai as well, with a smooth blend of ginger and Assam black tea that complements the caramel-like sweetness of brown sugar. Simple to make, with a 1:1 recipe using the concentrate and your milk of choice, this chai creates a comfortingly familiar mix of sweet and spice that feels like home.
Tea Chai Te:
I visited a Tea Chai Té location nestled into the Sellwood neighborhood, where the cafe is inside of a historic red caboose that connects to a building and patio in the back. Sitting in a cozy couch chair, I held my tea in its artful mug, letting it cool. I watched the leaves swirl through the air from inside of the train car, which is renovated to provide quaint seating for customers. The sun shining through the window felt as poetic as my first sip of chai, bright and warm. Oat milk and honey helped to create a smooth blend of flavors, heavy with cardamom, the scent of which wafted up into the sun. Each sip is an indulgence that leaves you wanting more. Paired with the comfortable and individualistic environment of the space, Tea Chai Té makes for a perfect chai experience.
One Stripe Chai:
This concentrate has a consistent sweetness from a combination of honey and jaggery, creating a minimal and smooth taste. With a 1:1 recipe of concentrate and milk of choice, it can be made to taste. I am drawn to the simplicity and convenience of this beverage; it is the perfect go-to drink to start the day. The careful balance and quantity of spices softly acclimate the palate to the drink. One Stripe Chai is available for purchase in many stores around Portland in various sizes and flavors, but I went with the original. It seems to me like a perfect introduction to chai for someone who is not yet familiar with it.
Bollywood Theater:
On a stormy evening, I sat in a dimly lit corner of the Alberta location of Bollywood Theater. The restaurant has long been one of my favorite places; the Indian street food paired with tasteful Bollywood decorations and mood lighting are rich with culture. Served piping hot with one free refill is a masala chai by The Reluctant Trading Experiment, rich with cardamom and accented with cracked black pepper, ginger and cloves, which make for a spicy, stirring drink. Sipping this chai in a dimly lit space filled with cultural accents from different regions of India is a journey to the bustling streets of Mumbai, all in a cup.
Chai is diverse in a way that I had not imagined, each cup varying in spices, sweetness and flavor. Every cup of chai is unique: where it is from, what it highlights and how it is served. What is consistent, though, is the culture and community that surrounds it. Kind baristas with extensive alternative milk options host cafes where it is perfectly acceptable to sit and stay long after your beverage is finished. Chai is more than just a tea; chai is a tale of culture and community.♦
