Four steps. Ten minutes. The same Somali chai we've poured every morning since our mom first taught us, now on your stove.
Before You Start
Nothing fancy. If you've got a pot and a strainer, you're already most of the way there.
The Method
01
Bring two cups of water to a boil, then scoop in two tablespoons of The Horn Somali Chai. That works out to one tablespoon per serving.
Water first, always. That's what separates Somali chai from a milky masala: the tea gets to open up in water before any dairy shows up and dulls it.
Level tablespoons, not heaped. The blend is stronger than it looks.
02
Drop the heat and let it bubble away for 3 to 5 minutes.
Watch the color turn. You're looking for a deep, rusty amber. That's the Kenyan black tea doing its work alongside the cardamom, cinnamon, and clove.
A lazy simmer, not a rolling boil. Hard boiling turns the tea bitter.
03
Pour in one cup of milk and let it simmer gently for another 2 to 3 minutes to bring out the full depth.
This is where it goes from tea to chai. The spices round off, the color softens to caramel, and the whole kitchen starts to smell like our café at 7am.
Sweetening? Now's the moment. Sugar, honey, or a spoon of condensed milk.
04
Pour it through a strainer into your cup. Drink it warm, ideally with someone else in the room.
That's chai the Horn way. The same cup we serve in Nashville every single day, now made in your kitchen.
Pour from a height if you're feeling it. A little froth never hurt anybody.
Make It Yours
Let it steep longer before the milk goes in. An extra two minutes on step 2 deepens everything without turning it bitter. Adding more mix works too, but time is the better lever.
Sugar while it simmers, honey once it's off the heat, or condensed milk if you want it rich and closer to how it's poured in Mogadishu. Sweeten in the pot, not the cup.
The ratio scales cleanly: one tablespoon of mix, one cup of water, and a half cup of milk per person. Same simmer times, bigger pot.
Summer Variation
Six steps, one jar, zero rush. Brew it like normal, chill it properly, and let the milk meet it at the glass.
The one rule: no milk in the pot. You're building a chilled chai concentrate. The milk goes in cold, at the very end.
Boil two cups of water, then scoop in two tablespoons of Somali chai.
Mix it well and let it boil 2 to 4 minutes, until it turns a deep, rusty amber.
Pour it through a fine strainer into a jar. Sweeten now, while it's still hot.
Lid on, into the fridge. Give it an hour at least. Warm chai over ice goes watery fast.
Fill your favorite glass to the top with ice and pour the cold chai straight over.
Top with the milk of your choice, give it a stir, and that's a proper iced chai.
Rooted in tradition, made for today
Born from our mom's recipe. Perfected in our cafés. Shipped anywhere in the U.S. so a proper cup is never far away.
What people say
Real words from people who drink it.
“
★★★★★
Always amazing. Best chai I've had in Nashville...
Michael D
The Horn
“
★★★★★
The chai was absolutely the best I've ever had.
Sheyna G
The Horn
“
★★★★★
BEST CHAI EVER!!!
Mariam H
The Horn
“
★★★★★
I can't get chai anywhere else, I've been spoiled ☕️
Emma S
The Horn
“
★★★★★
The chai is so so good...
Stephanie H
The Horn
Get exclusive deals and early access to new products.
The Horn is a fast casual Somali café based in Nashville, serving up crispy sambusas, spiced chai, and a whole lot of hospitality. Rooted in tradition, made for today.
© 2025 The Horn Café. All rights reserved. Made with love in Nashville.