Community Highlights: Meet Rachna Rawat of Hanuman Chai

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachna Rawat.

Hi Rachna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Old Delhi, the center of Chai culture. We lived in a home shared by my grandparents and their three sons’ families, with a total of 9 kids! Every morning, the aroma of fresh-ground spices woke us up – the morning chai. Throughout the day, if one person had chai, everyone else had to have some. Kids were given Karha (CAR-ha), a brew of spices, i.e., chai without the black tea. We would sit around the dining table with friends and family – chai time was a reason to take time to tease, laugh, and encourage each other – to be together.

Time came and went, and I soon left my home in India and started a family in America. While my children were born in the US, as an immigrant, I relied on teachers and the school system to help my kids learn what they needed to succeed in this environment. I was always grateful for the time teachers took to explain the school system and keep an eye on my kids. A carafe of chai was my way of saying thank you, and it was a perfect beverage over which to talk. It became a source of community, half a world away from India. When my kids left for college, I realized how much I missed the communities I had over the years, first with my family, then with my kids and their schools and activities. I wanted to share with others what had been a social glue for me – and with the same authentic recipes, I had learned at home.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our goal has always been to share the joy of our experiences and the quality and benefits of our traditions. However, when trying to share authenticity in a market flooded by popular “chai tea” (PSA: it’s just Chai!!!) it’s like fighting a tide. We’re thankful for creators like Pragadish Kalaivan, Pavi Arav, and others who have used their platforms to educate and inform. Cultural appropriation is a buzzword that describes something that we’ve noticed for years: the fetishization and stereotyping of our culture, history, and traditions. Our philosophy is that every struggle comes with a gift. We respond by building relationships. Each conversation we have with our customers is a chance to share the stories of our own experiences and relate to people as individuals. Especially these days, that is a big gift.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Hanuman Chai?
Hanuman Chai is a family-owned, women-run small business in Boulder, CO. We started Hanuman Chai to share a set of values that were so often shared over cups of chai. Many folks don’t know or realize that although “chai tea” (Again: it’s just Chai!!!) is popular now, real chai is based on spice combinations that were carefully crafted and studied in the ancient practice of Ayurveda. Hanuman Chai brings deep, authentic knowledge together with the tenets I relied on as a mother and aspired to pass on to my kids: strength, perseverance, courage, and devotion; all coming together around a table with the community.

There are so many companies and even more products out there. Each one is unique. But from my own story, I can say that there is no substitute for personal experience and experiential knowledge. I grew up with Ayurveda in our daily routines and the air of Old Delhi. I would later study and learn the principles in more detail, but nothing can compare to the years around the table, drinking chai with my family, or the experiences in the kitchen, learning about spices from my mother, aunts, and grandmother. To me, this isn’t just a product. It is a part of my history, a part of my family, and a part of me.

People ask how we chose our name. In Indian mythology, Hanuman is a figure of strength, courage, perseverance, and devotion. Our true qualities are revealed in service of others. In that spirit, since the beginning of Hanuman Chai, we have donated more than 10% of our proceeds and company effort and time to local charities, relief efforts, and outreach.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The Covid Pandemic has been a trying time for everyone. The uncertainty, the emotional toll, and the sheer loss of people we love and have known have been a tragedy. Twinned with a solemn political landscape and disparities in access to protections and care, our society feels more divided than ever.

In many ways, it’s a reminder that what truly matters is finding ways to slow down and spend time with the ones we love. From the start, that has been Hanuman Chai’s core message.

In an era of fast-moving, fast-living, fast food, how do you tell people to

SLOW

DOWN?

We’ve had to brainstorm on this. Our chai is not a “fast-food chai.” It takes a moment to explain that our chai isn’t a ginger-sweet beverage like the kind most people try. Hanuman Chai is made with the qualities we were taught to value: carefully balanced by hand, authentic and ayurvedic, balanced by the season and Ayurvedic dosha, without fillers or nonsense. Our ingredients are fresh-ground, organic, and fair trade-certified.

Did you know that we use saffron, cardamom, tulsi, and a variety of other premium spices? Most generic chais only contain ginger and cinnamon, avoiding the cost and expertise needed to balance spices properly. Each spice is like a color on an artist’s palette. While most companies paint with one or two, Hanuman Chai is a canvas with texture and nuance, each note carefully and masterfully blended. We’re always happy when we can share this with people who appreciate it, but getting that message out has been tough. Staying true to our values in a world that rewards cutting corners in the short term has been both our biggest challenge and greatest pride.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://drinkhanuman.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanumanchai/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrinkHanuman