The Chai Kulhad
Sipping Chai And Cocktails With Friends
East Fork is a vessel for many things, one of the most important: connection. Collectors connect over shared glaze admiration and reminisce on the forms that got away. Friends and loved ones tell stories while passing serving bowls around the table. Children sip from their juice cups, admiring the matching mug in the adult hand. As we continue weaving connections through our pots, we are honored to introduce a new, limited time vessel steeped in tradition and filled to the brim with human connection, a Chai Kulhad in collaboration with Diaspora Co., on April 28th.
Founder Sana Javeri Kadri launched Diaspora Co. in 2017 with one spice, Pragati Turmeric. Today, they source 30 single-origin spices from 150 farms across India and Sri Lanka. Diaspora Co. has been an East Fork partner and pantry staple since we began carrying spices in the shop in 2019. Much like our CEO, Connie Matisse, Sana is a courageous and impassioned woman advocating for transformative work, proving intentional business can be successful while also reimagining the ways we can navigate through capitalism with compassion.
After 4 years of sourcing across 40 farms in India & Sri Lanka,
Sana pours Chai Masala with Iniya Cardamom from Tamil Nadu; Aranya Black Pepper from Kerala; Makhir Ginger from Meghalaya; Lucknowi Fennel from Uttar Pradesh; and Kandyan Cloves & Peni Miris Cinnamon from Kandy, Sri Lanka—six spices freshly milled for peak potency and deliciousness.
Double-fisting. Chai in one hand, a margarita in the other.
Everything Diaspora Co. sources is incredible, but Connie's especially a fan of their Kashmiri saffron. She used a few strands to make a bright yellow simple syrup, shaken up hard with 2 oz tequila, 1 oz passion fruit juice, 1 oz fresh lime, and topped with a smokey, salty Sirārakhong Hāthei Chillies rim. We highly recommend this glass for juicy summertime cocktails.
Strongly Opinionated CEOs
"Running this business from the mountains of North Carolina with a lifelong bad habit of insisting I go at things alone means I rarely pull my head up from work to see how other people are doing things. Having Sana on speed dial when I've hit a wall and need to bounce things off a similarly stubborn leader with a radical vision for a different world helps me sleep at night. Being in partnership with companies like Diaspora Co. make the hard days feel worth it." — Connie Matisse, Co-Founder & CEO at East Fork
Dinner on the Hungry River with Chef Ashleigh Shanti
We're over-the-top kind of people and Sana happened to be passing through the South, so we celebrated at Connie's house, with Chai by the water, saffron & passionfruit margaritas, and an exquisite meal prepared by our chef and dear friend, Ashleigh Shanti. Chef Shanti brought Diaspora Co. spices to play on Southern staples. Want to make this dinner yourself? Stay tuned for recipes from Ashleigh.
