Thursday October 15, 2009 | 7 comments
When I began putting together recipes for a retail concept, a “perfect” chai latte was high on the priority list. At the time, chai was “hot” and, as I began to sample various chai concentrates on the market, I became convinced that none of them was what I was looking for. They were either too sweet, too spicy, or had too 
much of one spice. Reviews and articles I read on various chais said the same thing. There seemed to be a search for hitting that “sweet spot” that would make any chai lover go into a state of bliss when they found it.
A few years ago, there was a story of an Indian gentleman in the Half Moon Bay area of Northern California who served a chai so incredible people protested vehemently when a chain coffee retailer (not Starbucks) planned to take over his small space. I never got to taste that chai, but that’s the kind of chai I was seeking for a retail concept. And the journey continued.
My goal in this post, in addition to telling my own chai story, is to simply ask others the question: “Have you found your ‘perfect’ chai latte and what is it like?” I was still tweaking ours the day we opened our store last July, and continue to tweak, although what we have now absolutely delights customers. Ours is a “moderately spicy” chai with vanilla overtones and one that, when steamed soy milk (my preference) is added, becomes a café au lait-colored, slightly sweet, balanced spicy liquid that makes me go “ahhhhh”…and want more and more and more. Personally, I don’t believe any chai concentrate or powder bought off the shelf can match it…not even close. That is our “house chai”.
A customer inspired our other chai recipes by asking about putting some coconut flavor in her chai. I knew the house chai would not work, so grabbed our loose-leaf, very spicy chai black tea, brewed a shot, added some very delicate coconut syrup, combined with steamed soy milk and..voila! The customer was thrilled 
and it is now a very popular item on our menu. With Fall upon us, I also use that particular loose-leaf chai as the start of our Pumpkin Spice chai latte.
As stated previously, my preference for chai latte is to use soy milk, and not just any soy milk. I use only Soy Silk (they’ll love me if they read this) and the plain one, not vanilla. Some customers just won’t drink soy for whatever reason, but I believe the taste of a chai latte with soy is unmatched, because soy seems to impart a creaminess that milk does not. I also like to dust the top of the beverage (or the whipped cream) lightly with cinnamon.
Like its “brother” – the elusive “perfect” espresso mocha latte – the “perfect” chai latte is an individual quest. I believe I’ve found the Shangri La that took me years to reach and I hope, in your quest, you will be successful in doing the same. The results are definitely worth the journey. Now, if there was just a zero-calorie option that tasted even close. Happy traveling!
MAIN | IMAGE1 | IMAGE2
I’ll go for the soy instead of cow’s milk myself. I’d like to make another suggestion in the spirit of the coconut request. I can vouch for the healthiness of coconut and can just imagine how it must add to the flavor. My idea is to try some chai recipes with a nut milk like almond milk. That’s going to have a richer flavor than soy milk or probably even a rich cow’s milk.
Please share the results!!
An aside: It was so much fun to see contributor here, Chef Wemischner, on the PBS TV show last night with Huell Howser and put a voice and movement to his fabulous posts here.
Thanks Diane – so sorry to have missed him. I’ll keep my eye open for a rerun!
As I’m not a chai drinker, I’m afraid I have nothing to add here. I’ve always found it too sweet and never really considered it a “health” drink. I have more than enough unhealthy beverage choices so I’ve never really pursued chai. It seems one either loves it or not.
It was fun to watch him talk to Huell; he was teaching a class in culinary skills in Los Angeles.
They had a green tea pound cake as one of the baked goods!
Speaking of publicity, we were blessed to get this write-up today:
http://tinyurl.com/ykrc98b
Hi Diane,
Way back in 1993 I was on a climbing expedition in the Hushe Valley in the Pakistani Himalayas. Our base camp cook was named Rosi Ali, a seriously kind and witty gentleman with a recipe for fresh brewed chai that to this day I can still smell and taste. Every morning at the crack of dawn, the zipper of my tent would gently open and in came a weathered hand holding a small tin mug of exquisite chai. I was completely mesmerized by its flavor and aroma.
On my last night as Base Camp, I jumped into the cook tent with Rosi Ali and watched him prepare the chai for the next and last morning that we would all be together on that remote glacier. I wrote down his process.
Years later I launched a small artisan chai brewing company as a spinoff from my teahouse chain in Alberta. The chai was an instant success. People were, like myself completely blown away by the flavor and taste of real chai. Today, The Chai Company brews this legendary recipe for Cafe’s and Restaurants all over North America.
I have one man to thank for this – the calm and generous Rosi Ali from the remote Hushe Valley in Northern Pakistan. I hope to return someday and track him down to thank him for sharing his age old chai recipe with me.
Thanks for jogging my memory bank!
Brendan, that’s a great success story. Just goes to show what “real” tea can do!
Hi Brendan..just saw your story while looking for something for Twitter. Gotta say that your chai is some of the best product in the industry. You amaze me with your ability to keep moving forward with new and successful launches of product & inventive concepts. I hope to meet you someday!