Ana Kras has never been a coffee person: “I have a very strong intolerance to it,” says the Serbian-born, New York-based artist. Instead, she favors a specific kind of chai latte that her friend and collaborator, the designer Beatrice Valenzuela, taught her to make on a trip to Los Angeles last winter. “I immediately wrote down the recipe and started doing the same, or a version of it, every single morning,” says Kras, who is known for her modernist furniture, abstract drawings and photography. She was soon recommending the drink to others, emphasizing that it’s not only tasty, but also can have medicinal properties, as well — depending on which ingredients you add.


The “potion,” as she now calls it, consists of vegan, organic masala chai spice and ground vanilla powder, to which she adds hot water and a selection of “dusts,” or pulverized forms of adaptogenic herbs (used since ancient times to fortify the body against ailments). Lately, her lineup has included ashwagandha, cordyceps, mucuna pruriens and reishi — an assortment meant to boost immunity and bring mental clarity. She blends all of this together and then adds a few spoonfuls of homemade cashew cream for thickening, which she makes herself. “It’s super easy — easier than almond milk — because there’s no draining,” she explains.

The entire recipe is pretty simple and it offers incredible nutrition and health benefits, Kras says. The only drawback is perhaps the initial trip to the natural health food store or wellness e-boutique to buy the herbs in bulk: “They are expensive, but don’t panic — they really last long.” (She prefers ordering from either Moon Juice or Sun Potion, and she’s only had to stock up two times in the past year.) Kras now drinks a fresh cup of her enhanced chai latte each morning, typically with a breakfast of toast and fig jam, before going to her studio. Previously a woman without a morning routine, she is happy to have found one. “It’s changed my life,” Kras says.

Ana’s Life-Changing Chai Latte

∙ ½ teaspoon ashwagandha

∙ ½ teaspoon cordyceps

∙ ½ teaspoon mucuna pruriens

∙ ½ teaspoon reishi

∙ ¼ teaspoon organic masala chai spice (Kras prefers Blue Lotus)

∙ ¼ teaspoon organic ground vanilla powder

∙ 1 date, pitted

∙ 1 tablespoon cashew cream* or almond milk

1. Boil some water, about 6 ounces, or a little less than a cup. Pour the boiled water in the blender and add all your powdered herbs.

2. Add the masala chai, vanilla powder and half a date to add some sweetness, and blend to mix all the ingredients.

3. Once everything is combined, add a few spoons of homemade cashew cream, or almond milk, and blend again. Then, serve.

*Cashew cream

∙ 1 cup cashews

∙ ½ teaspoon vanilla powder

∙ ½ date, pitted

1. Cover the cashews with water and soak for five to six hours or overnight. Discard the water.

2. Put the softened cashews in a blender and add in filtered water (enough to cover the nuts, but you can control the thickness by using more or less water), vanilla powder and the date.

3. Blend on high until the mixture has a creamy consistency.

4. Store in a jar and add to your potion as cream.