KUKUI‘ULA — The Hanapepe Cafe may have shut its doors, but Chef Helen Lacona is sharing the recipe for one of the restaurant’s most popular beverage — Cozy Chai Tea. Melissa McFerrin of the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair, who
KUKUI‘ULA — The Hanapepe Cafe may have shut its doors, but Chef Helen Lacona is sharing the recipe for one of the restaurant’s most popular beverage — Cozy Chai Tea.
Melissa McFerrin of the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair, who coordinates the weekly Kaua‘i Culinary Market at The Shops at Kukui‘ula, said this was the most popular beverage at the Hanapepe restaurant, and when served warm, is perfect for the approaching holidays.
Lacona said the tea can be served chilled for the hot summer days, or warm to help ward off the fall and winter evening chill.
“I got this recipe as a gift from a person in Hanapepe,” Lacona said. “And I’m sharing this with everyone. It is the best chai tea I’ve had.”
McFerrin said this recipe is perfect for this time of the year because locally grown citrus is coming into season. She added a tip would be to use a hardware tool such as the Stanley Surform to grate the zest.
The Kaua‘i Culinary Market at The Shops at Kukui‘ula meets each Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. and features a weekly culinary demonstration along with live entertainment provided by John Rivera and Pali Carbonel enhancing the experience of shopping for locally-grown produce and fruits and value-added products.
Lacona, the former chef of the Hanapepe Cafe, offers a variety of home-made soups using a variety of local products, exclusively at the Kaua‘i Culinary Market.
The Cozy Chai Tea
8 cups boiling water
1 cup instant black tea
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup sugar (optional, to taste)
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
Zest of one orange
Bring water to a boil, add tea and milk. Turn heat to very low. Blend in sugar. Turn off heat. Add spices like cardamom, nutmeg, 5 spice mix and others to taste. Add zest of one orange.
