Chai Five is a Santa Cruz-based tea company founded by Ani Joshi. It is unique as an organic, woman-owned chai company, built on principles of transparency, fair treatment of farmers, biodiversity, and whole-body healing. The inspiration traces back to Joshi’s childhood, growing up with her grandparents in Colorado, whose handmade chai—brewed from spices they grew themselves—left a lasting impression of comfort and identity. A later health scare led Joshi back to that family recipe as a source of balance and ritual. Today, Chai Five sources heirloom, single-origin ingredients like Ceylon cinnamon and wild cardamom from regenerative partner farms.
