The Chai Room....it's all the groove you know

For those who may be unaware or unsure, can you explain exactly what "chai" is

Chai as a direct translation actually means "tea" in many languages.  However, in India "chai" is made with a variety of spices depending on what region you are from.

Over time as "chai" with spices has been introduced into many other countries the name Chai seems to have stuck and become associated with "spicy" or "masala" tea. Masala is the term used for a mix of spices.

What role has chai played in your life personally and what drove you to want to share this with others

Chai has been part of my life since I can remember.  It has deep cultural roots as I grew up in a traditional Indian household.  Chai was the drink that we would always welcome our guests with when they came over.  My mum would usher them into our front room saved for "best" and immediately get to work in the kitchen brewing up a magic creamy spicy chai concoction while my father kept them entertained.

I would watch in awe as she put it all together with expertise and of course we would have a mountain of Indian sweets and savouries: all presented beautifully on her best trays and her best chinaware.  Even strangers would become at ease as they sipped on my mum's chai and listen to her soft nostalgic stories.

Since my childhood this is a tradition I have always upheld no matter where I have been living in the world.  When I would make chai, it was everything to me....my comforter when I missed home, a welcome ice-breaker amongst friends and a way to reconnect with my history.

The ritual of making chai itself gives one time to wind-down and re-energise which is what I have always loved.

I have also found in times of loneliness, making chai brings back the warm memories of our fully happy home and since then I have been able to recreate that here with my own family and this is what motivated me to share it with others.

There never seems to be the "right time" or "enough time" for anything these days, but you can find a balance.  Through learning from my mum's generous soul, she taught my sister and I to do our best to give and not expect anything back. 

One thing that money cannot buy is time and it's a wonderful thing to be able to give someone a little bit of yours (time) to listen: I feel that I can that when I make someone a cup of chai....hence the name "The Chai Room", as whenever our mum had a pot of chair brewing on the stove we always knew the house would be full of good company.

What we particularly love is that inviting aroma (which seems to be a beautiful extension of yourself with your genuine enthusiasm and delight with each customer interaction) that greets folk as they discover what's in the Marrickville Market Hall.  But what we absolutely adore is your take home sachets and blends.  Is there a standard 'base' level to each type blend before adding other spices or is it more of an accidental discovery each time you have that creative urge to push that chai boundary a little bit further

The recipes for our chai is a family recipe that tell the story of the journey of our ancestors from India via the trade route in the early 19th Century, to then settle in East Africa (Tanzania) and then my parents migration to England in the early 1960's.

So the spices I use are a blend of Indian and Zanzibar (where my mum was born) and of course coming to England made the process even more formal with an ethnic twist!

Zanzibar has also been known as Spice or Clove Island. So that is why I prefer to use cloves instead of peppercorns or star anise.  The ginger is the "Indian" component.  I also use vanilla and cardamom and cinnamon as these spices are what gives the chai a balanced taste.

Throughout the whole process I try to keep the spices as authentic as possible, which is why I prefer to make my own ginger for the Ginger Masalas Blend by drying it and grinding it myself.

How important are markets in the world of The Chai Room

Throughout the world I believe that markets are the beginning of anything great, creative and free.  I have been brought up around markets all my life and have always used them as a source of inspiration.  It is a wonderful platform to be able to express your ideas and passion and with so much support not only from the market organisers themselves, but the community of the market from stallholders to punters. 

I especially love being part of Marrickville Markets due to the diversity it offers to everyone that is a part of it.  I meet people from many walks of life and  the interaction is genuine.  I love hearing people's stories and creating a connection and Marrickville Market certainly is the central hub for this.

For those who have yet to try, what 5 words would you use to encourage them to at least try some chai (or the chai cupcake even!)

Spicy yet smooth and palatable
Mouthwateringly delicious
Ambrosial
Scrumptious
Delightful!

(sorry!  I cheated)

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The love, the warmth and the tradition is truly felt in these words, so why not be part of Fatema's world albeit for a few hours every Sunday.  As you meander through the markets up to the hall, let the waft of chai sweep you in to the Hall, purchase a cup, taste a cupcake, even buy some to take home so you can continue that comfort feeling throughout the week with family, friends or that special "me time" moment.

A massive thank you to Fatema for bringing some of her world in to ours and yours every Sunday and we look forward to seeing many many MANY happy Chai faces wandering around our markets!

Mai Creation talks hairy beards

Share with us a little bit of the story behind Mai Creation

Being from the 7th state of Australia (New Zealand!), Mai in Maori means "close" and for those that are unsure of how it is pronounced: Mai is "My".

All of the Mai products come into close contact with and your skin and the combination of Mai and creation is a play on the fact that all the products are made and created by myself but in effect become yours.

What was it in particular about men's skincare that attracted you initially and then go on to specialise in providing good old fashioned care and accessories (eg: shaving brush, shaving mugs etc)

I wanted to make natural products that are good for men, that men would enjoy using and are gentle and enriching for their skin.  To encourage guys to take up, or dust off their double-edged razors and master the old art of the wet shave (hopefully without too much injury in the process!)

The wet shave is the best for your skin, cheapest and definitely the most environmentally friendly shaving option.  If you wear a beard of moustache you still need to look after not only the hairy facial fluff, but it is also important to look after the skin underneath.

Male grooming should be a ritual that is enjoyed and is a beautiful art and skill to be passed on from father to son.  

And so from this came the concept for developing the Mister Brand by Mai Creation.

I am currently working on broadening the range to incorporate razors, combs, natural oil based pomade and aftershave.....so look out men folk!

What would be your best selling product or does it depend upon season and demographic

Due to current popularity and trend of beards, I would have to say our beard oil 

and the moustache wax would follow closely behind

but interestingly in the last couple of weeks there has been a definite spike in the shaving soap sales are we heading to the end of the hairy beard!!??

How important are markets like Marrickville to both your business, your product development and yourselves personally

Markets such as Marrickville are hugely important to Mai Creation and our Mister Brand!  This is where we have direct contact with our customers

We love knowing who uses our products, having immediate feedback regarding our products is great as this helps us to further develop or modify the formula's.

It is our mission to provide the kindest most nourishing products to our skin as well as our environment.

What 5 words would you use to sum up the world of Mai Creation

Natural
Handmade
Beneficial
Gentle
Edgy .... pun intended!

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What we particularly love about these guys is that not only do they show us that "everything old is new again", but they have an ever increasing following, they have diversity of scents and they are in the hall at Marrickville Markets and we LOVE them, as will you when you find them!

Keep an eye out for the groovy set up and you will have found the hairy beard haven!

Lee & Wami talk free range, organic and biodynamic

From free range eggs to biodynamic fruit and veg: you are now a well entrenched and much loved stallie at Marrickville Market.  What do you love most about market life

The markets are where you go to get something that is not available at your local store, an experience, something unusual or just a bargain.  We love being the one who brings this to people.

Your eggs literally "fly" out the door.  Can you explain what defines "organic" and "free range" and why they not only taste better, but more importantly, why we should choose to buy these types of eggs as opposed to those in the local supermarket

Well freshness is always a consideration and the usual story of supporting the little guys is a nice one too. What can I say: they are certified organic free range, no beak trimming with an open gate policy eggs: so if you ever want to pop in an ensure they are what they say they are then, you can!

Miso: we love it, the customers love it, it's something unique and you sell it ready to serve with hot water AND as a cookie!  What exactly is miso

Miso is a fermented condiment that is hugely popular in Japan and other Asian countries.  It has a strong pungent and very salty flavour.  This is the base stock which is used to make miso soup and has a whole variety of other uses and applications.

One of my personal favourites is miso on bread or crackers (whatever suits) with avocado: yum, yumm, yummmmmm!

It also makes a great dressing diluted with a little water or Mirin (Japanese rice wine vinegar), it is excellent as a marinade for meats (especially seafood)...the list goes on and on.  If ever you are stuck for ideas, do an online search for some suggested recipes.

The basics of making making Miso are:

Par cook brown rice/barley and soya bean.  Add a culture called Koji, water and salt. Put the mixture in a special room to ferment.  Once fermentation has taken place the Miso is then brought out and blended into a paste which some people think looks like peanut butter (I say this because this is the most common question we are asked..."oh! I thought it was peanut butter").

Miso is a wonderful superfood which is alive: if you look up the health benefits of Miso you will be richly rewarded!

Amongst your produce, you have biodynamic blueberries, mangos and insane tasting dragon fruit.  For those who may not fully understand, can you give us a bit of insight as to what "biodynamic" means, how it aids our overall wellbeing, why it's an important part of our daily intake of goodness and how it differs from say, organically grown produce

The quick answer for bio-dyniamic is "super organic".  You have all the organic principles that you must follow and then have another set of principles above and beyond that which must be adhered to.  The benefits to the earth and land have been shown many times over in research that has been carried out.

And what about us?  Well, I solemnly believe we should eat what we are guided to by our own intuition as we have the ability to make the right choice for ourselves at each step of the way.

From your perspective, what is it about markets like Marrickville Market that form an integral part of the community and why should we, as consumers, support it as much as we can

The basic premise for markets, in our opinion, is it gives people a chance to experience something which is outside the norm of what you would find in other places.

If it tickles your fancy or floats your boat then head on over and join the fun!

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Reckon there's something in that for all of us don't you?

Take it from us, there is standing room only for these guys and once you taste their produce you will too will become enslaved to their goodness and have a bit of a laugh while you're at it