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Our Story

Chai has always been a big part of my life growing up and it continues to be. Growing up in a South Asian household, there is no way you can exist without consuming chai at least a few times a day and enjoying it with family members, indulging in this magical concoction over some laughs and adda (conversations in Bengali)

Kora Chai has been a passion project for me. The idea came to me during those slow dull moments of early lockdowns in the pandemic. I had started making chai the way I always loved making it, slowed down and really taking the time to gather and grind and mix all the ingredients. There was all this time being at home with mornings that felt slower and intentional. It brought back memories of having chai in the mornings at my grandmother's home in India.

This also made me think of how often chai is misrepresented in Western society. “Chai tea” as is most commonly referred to really is saying tea tea, chai itself means tea in Hindi. The cinnamon and sugar heavy syrup used at big chain stores isn’t real chai. The whole leaf cheap black tea used in tea bags with pieces of cinnamon, that is packaged off as chai isn’t that.

Seeing the constant misrepresentation of such a beloved tradition made me want to do something about it. I wanted Kora Chai to bring back what chai really means to the diaspora and to reintroduce it the right way to western society. To reconnect us to the art of chai while maintaining its roots and authentic taste . The tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation of South Asian households.

During this time, I also saw the need for us be to able to bring this piece of culture home without having to make several trips to the Indian grocery store to collect all the different ingredients that go into making a cup of chai (there’s quite a few). Why not create a blend that contains whole ground up spices (I've grown up seeing used in tea) and mix it with traditional black tea directly from India. Chai is never made the same way in any desi household, some of the rituals are sacred and generational. Keeping this in mind I wanted the blend to be able to evoke those same feelings you experienced while fondly sipping chai in your nani's (grandmother) home.

 xx Shayani

Owner and Founder of Kora Chai