“Chai Quest.”
It sounds like a really mystical role-play game, or a form of yoga, or a tacky name for a purveyor of over-dried spices. But I’m a little fond of the term because for me, it’s loaded with fragrant memories of quiet moments and good friends.
I first fell in love with an excellent chai-tea latte on a hot mid-summer day in Manitou Springs, Colorado. A local friend dragged me into “the world’s best coffee shop,” and as we slipped from a dazzling day into the cool, ornately-decorated cloister of the Orthodox-run Agia Sophia, I was in a humor to agree. I mean, books and quality coffee...can you find a better pairing? Brittany ordered a hot chai tea latte which came in a fat little clay pot. She let me have a taste. My life would be forever changed because that – the sky-scraper layers of sweet and spice and smoke and cream – was what good chai tasted like. I came home, newly-infatuated with chai tea lattes, and ordered one at Starbucks because the price I pay for living where I live is No Independent Coffee Houses. I’m not a Starbucks-coffee hater (slightly-ashamed owner of a gold-card, here), but their normal chai tea latte is a hopeless slump of watery, uncommitted spices dawdling around in hopes of being mistaken for chai. The Oprah Chai (made with whole milk) was slightly better, but still disappointing to one who had tasted of the nectar from Agia Sophia. So I set out on my “Chai Quest” to find the best chai tea lattes money can buy.
When I visit a new coffee shop in my travels, I order the chai tea latte. Sometimes I take it iced, sometimes dirty, once in a while I’ll order a chai tea milkshake (divine, folks), but my favorite way is straight-up classic latte. I rank the chai lattes at these coffee shops on a scale of 1-10, 1 being “hideous, weak-willed yuckiness,” 10 being “liquid ambrosia.” Results so far?
Agia Sophia (Manitou Springs, Colorado): 9 of 10
Aroma’s Coffeehouse Bakeshop & Café (Williamsburg, VA): 7 of 10
Ted’s Bulletin (Washington D.C.): 6 of 10
Cure Coffee (Norfolk, VA): 8 of 10
Borja Coffeehouse
(Norfolk, VA): 6 of 10
Starbucks Coffee (world-wide): 3 of 10
Shoes Cup & Cork (Leesburg, VA): 5 of 10
Demolition Coffee (Petersburg, VA): 6 of 10
Shoes Cup & Cork (Leesburg, VA): 5 of 10
Demolition Coffee (Petersburg, VA): 6 of 10
I think I’m reserving the first 10-point rating for real
Indian chai, if they make it into lattes down there….the next natural step for
a girl who has nothing but Starbucks within a thirty-five minute radius is to
make her own…and with August breaking its hold and giving me the slightest hint
of autumn to come, nothing makes more sense. I adore autumn. October is my
soul-month and the gypsy-winds are my favorite kind of breeze in the world. A
chai tea latte is October’s ideal husband. Compared to the all-elusive perfect
cup my version is “devoted boyfriend” level: a light, tingling, summery version
suited to the tastes of one who dreams of autumn when she can’t quite have it. Having
no cardamom on hand, I threw in mace. Black pepper was a second diversion from
the inspiration-recipe, and I scrapped their measurements for the spices and
created my own blend. I narrowly, narrowly missed throwing in a couple bay
leaves…they’ll probably make it in there next time. Chai is all about the
spice-game, so feel free to improvise! Enjoy hot or iced, or add a shot of
espresso to “dirty” the blend.
Want to make your own? Here’s how:
Summer Chai Tea
Latte Concentrate:
(enough concentrate
for 4-6 lattes)
6 whole cloves
2 teaspoons ground
cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground
ginger
2 pods star anise
¼ teaspoon ground
nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons ground
allspice
½ teaspoon ground mace
½ teaspoon freshly-cracked
black pepper
2 tablespoons maple
syrup
2 bags black tea
2 cups water
1.
Bring water to a rolling boil on the stove. When
boiling, remove from heat and add spices. Let steep, covered, 5 minutes.
2.
Add tea-bags and maple syrup and steep 5 more
minutes. Strain into bottle or jar and keep in fridge. When ready to use, froth
milk on the stovetop (I beat it with a whisk while heating) and assemble lattes
with slightly more concentrate than milk for fullest flavor.