Chai Pilgrimage

OK, well not exactly 100% homegrown chai, but fennel is a good start. One small step to fulfilling an ongoing daydream of walking outside and harvesting tea leaves, cinnamon bark, cardamon pods, ginger root, clove, pepper, tulsi, saffron and fennel seed.

This summer was the second year for our modest but thriving fennel forest. Tulsi and I harvested enough seed to fill a few pint-size mason jars. I’m totally giddy, but I keep thinking, I could have saved 3 times as much. I learned that timing is essential or the seeds will drop (another reason why gardeners advise to plant fennel OUTside of the garden or it will grow into a true forest).

I don’t even know if fennel spiced chai was very common in our household before our daughter was born, or if we even tried it in our masala. But when Tulsi was born, Patrick started tossing in a handful of sweet fennel seeds to every batch. Why fennel? Just ask our now chai-seasoned, ayurvedic, still-mama-matte-lovin’ (as in Mother’s milk) 2-year-old, and she will say with a LOT of enthusiasm, “Fennel helps make more matte!” And she’s right of course. Fennel is one of the spices in many “Mother’s Milk Teas” that “helps promote healthy lactation”.  Tulsi also knows if she chews on some seed, it will help settle a tummy ache.

But it’s more than fennel’s medicinal properties — it’s YUMMY.

It’s my goal next year to grow, and save, enough fennel seed for a whole year’s supply — a few pounds would do. As for the rest of my chai fantasy, we would be in heaven if we could grow ginger in our 4-season, geodesic dome greenhouse. Even at 8000 ft in the  mountains, I think it’s possible…just need to research and find the right variety!

Anyone have experience growing ginger in a greenhouse, or blessed with your favorite masala chai spices growing in YOUR backyard?