Cape Cod CHAI
Chai is a sweet and spicy preparation of tea, usually black, rooted in the British colonization of India. The British East India Company’s success in bringing India’s Assam variety of tea to Britain also served to increase the consumption of tea in India. Chai puts a unique spin on the classic British preparation of tea with milk and sugar by adding the aromatic spices favored in India, like cardamom, cinnamon and clove. These deeply aromatic blends may also have extended the life of the tea leaves that natives had to purchase from the British. Translated as “tea” in Hindi, when you crave a spicy drink, choose a hot or iced chai.
Lorna McKenna-Kaplan never finished a cup of coffee in her life. “It was a such a relief when I visited Colorado years ago and was introduced to chai. Sweet and spicy—I could order one and a fruit cup instead of the bagels and coffee everyone else seemed to love.”
Living on the Cape for eighteen years now with her husband and daughter, McKenna- Kaplan was raised in Florida, her parents having emigrated from Scotland. Her dad was a pastry chef who owned a bakery, so she grew up working the retail end, folding boxes and stuffing them with doilies and sweets. “I always thought I’d end up with food in some way, and now I finally am,” she says.
A massage therapist for over a decade, McKenna-Kaplan began to consider other income streams for when she might not be able to accomplish as much of this physically demanding work. Having created and mixed chai spice blends for her own use for many years, the Cape’s farmers’ markets were the ideal platforms for her to introduce the concept of chai and her unique products to locals and visitors.
“Beginning in 2013, I tested my tea blend out at the Wellfleet and later the Truro Farmers’ Market. It was the ideal situation in that I could bring our young daughter Iona with me,” says McKenna-Kaplan. Quite the natural sales person, in 2016 Iona launched her own dog cookies called Frankie’s Favorites.
Cape Cod CHAI was joined by Cape Cod CHAI Granola in 2014, a nutty mix with the same zingy pop of spice. “I was surprised that the little sample cups of granola I shared actually helped open the door for many people to try the tea,” says McKenna-Kaplan. “My dad passed before he could see it, but he knew of my plans to add more products to the line. Maybe granola bars or a nod to his love of shortbread and our Scottish heritage will be next.”
Presently McKenna-Kaplan is regrouping to extend her wholesale reach, and has curtailed her market presence this year. For now, her chai is served on the menu at The Flying Fish and Bol, both in Wellfleet, and Sunbird Kitchen in Orleans. Bags of Cape Cod CHAI spice and granola are for sale at all three locations as well as online.
“I’ve made the effort to keep my spices completely organic, and really fresh. Although the price points keep me from using organic nuts in the granola, all of the spices are sourced and shipped whole from California, and I grind them as I create each batch. You really taste the ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon plus lots and lots of pepper. Unlike most chai, my preference is not sweet at all,” says McKenna-Kaplan. “I really like to spice it up.”
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