While conceptualizing the menu for his Haitian Porland-based restaurant, Kann – lauded among the best new restaurants in the nation by Eater, Esquire and The New York Times – Chef Gregory Gourdet drew from his personal flavor memories.
As a child raised by Haitian immigrants in New York, his father often had a pot of Te Jènjanm, the traditional Haitian ginger tea, simmering on the stove. The spicy, warming tea was especially comforting during the cold winter months.
Gourdet recently approached Portland’s Smith Teamaker to create a custom version of Te Jènjanm to be served at Kann. It’s also available at SmithTea.com to warm cups at home.
“I have a long history of collaborations with Smith, so of course I was excited to work with them again on this creation for Kann,” said James Beard Foundation Award-Winning author and Top Chef alum Gregory Gourdet. “Te Jènjanm is traditionally made from fresh ginger, whole star anise and cinnamon sticks, so we worked together to create a very special blend of dried ingredients that evoke a similar spice complexity. What we created captures the soothing and invigorating essence of the original.”
Te Jènjanm (No. 1804) is available in tins of 15 sachets for US$29.99. Starring zingy ginger, cinnamon and star anise, the addition of cassia, coconut and licorice creates a spice-forward, bright and warming tea blend. Note: Each Smith Teamaker blend is given a number of significance; 1804 is the year of Haiti’s independence from France.
Te Jènjanm is an herbal tea suited to drink any time of day. At Kann, it's on the restaurant’s notable zero-proof beverage list, offered as a dessert pairing with banana upside down cake, and is often used as an element in cocktails at Kann’s subterranean bar, Sousòl.
Founded in 2009 by the late teamaker Steven Smith, Smith Teamaker crafts premium artisanal teas that showcase an artful talent for creating unexpected flavor combinations with complex aromas.
To learn more about Smith Teamaker, visit SmithTea.com.
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