About Us
Leaving Tanzania to come to the U.S. for University was an adjustment, one I embraced, but that took time. What I missed the most were the sounds, smells and tastes of HOME.
I missed looking out the window, waiting for the clouds to dissipate to show off the snow capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. I missed the sounds of roosters crowing, cars and busses honking, coins clincking as they exchanged hands and peoples extended greetings. I missed the smell of roasted maize, freshly roasted peanuts and oranges being peeled and sold on the sides of the road.
But what I missed the most was waking up to the smell of ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon being steeped into what I would realize would be the most flavorful and heartwarming chai I would come to have. My mother’s recipe was made with spices from the spice island of Zanzibar that we would bring back with us after every trip we took to this amazing island. The island of Zanzibar is like no other— the ocean is as clear as the hearts and minds of the people. Everything about it takes you to a place full of peace, LOVE and Serenity. And I could not live without this in my life.
I was on a mission to find that taste of home. I tried every chai masala from NY to CA at every coffee shop, restaurant and supermarket imaginable. I soon came to realize there was no chai with roots based in East Africa. There was no Zanzibar Chai. My wife, who lived in Tanzania for years understood my struggle and tried to convince me to make the chai myself. I finally made the leap and created the taste of home we both had been looking for. ZANZIBAR CHAI.