“I get pleasure from replicating the profiles of candy pastries in our espresso syrups.”

Swadesi Common Supervisor Anumoy Das and I’ve loads in frequent. We each love espresso and we each love pastry. So I used to be delighted to find Das’ complete deal with regards to recreating the candy thrill of pastry in playful espresso drinks. Espresso purists like me merely can’t get sufficient.

Swadesi, situated blocks from Chicago’s Union Station, opened in 2024 by the identical group that runs town’s solely Michelin-starred Indian restaurant and attracts inspiration from chai homes in India. Its drinks vary from coffees, nitro masala chai, different teas, wine, and a singular program of seasonal choices like their new Strawberry Shortcake Latte—which will be ordered with an espresso or matcha base.

Das felt “the candy, crumbly, and buttery notes of a strawberry shortcake would pair completely with espresso. We used those self same taste parts together with contemporary strawberries to develop a house-made syrup for the recipe.” Utilizing Kilgus Farm milk and contemporary strawberries, the drink will be loved each iced and scorching.

We spoke with Anumoy Das to study extra.

How did you’re employed to stability the flavors and create the right style profile?

With my culinary background, I imagine each merchandise wants a stability of salt, sugar, acid, and warmth. After I develop any syrup, I concentrate on these parts alongside the first substances.

What sort of espresso is used on this drink?

We use a South American mix with notes of cherry, nougat, and wildflower honey. Our espresso beans are very vibrant, which enhances the strawberry shortcake syrup effectively. For the matcha model, we use ceremonial matcha from Spirit Tea with notes of edamame, pea shoots, and chocolate daisy.

Would you advocate any meals pairings to go together with it?

The drink is sort of full by itself and doesn’t require a selected pairing. However really, any of our pastries within the cafe would work nice with it! From out Butter Hen Croissant to our Jaggery Chocolate Chip Cookie, something goes!

Thanks!

The drink is on the market by June 21, 2026. Go to Swadesi’s official web site, comply with them on Instagram @swadesicafe, and verify them out at 328 S Jefferson St, Chicago, IL 60661.