For Muhammad “Mojo” Joyo and Zainab Joyo, the chai commonly found at cafes across the U.S. bears little resemblance to the beloved drink they grew up with.
“I think pretty much any South Asian person you talk to is very frustrated with the landscape of chai,” Mojo said. “Going to a cafe and asking for chai — what you get is always very disappointing.”
So the young married couple, who both were born in Pakistan, decided to take matters into their own hands. In 2024, they opened their own chai cafe in Berkeley, called Elaichi Co. Unlike the chai lattes found in many cafes across the U.S., Elaichi Co. doesn’t add a premade chai concentrate to steamed milk. Instead, the proprietors brew their chai directly with the milk, creating a more tea-forward, creamy drink that highlights the boldness of the spices…