Social Media Anthropology Hub

Welcome to the Social Media Anthropology Hub at Chaitomin — where conversations are steeped slowly, just like a good masala chai. This space was created to explore how people connect over tea, spices, and storytelling across cultures and platforms. It’s where the aroma of culinary curiosity meets the rhythm of digital interaction. Whether you’re discovering century-old chai rituals or watching global food trends simmer online, this hub is where it all comes together — warmly, thoughtfully, and with a spoonful of shared intent.

Founded by Othrian Kelvayne and rooted in Iron Mountain, Michigan, Chaitomin offers more than just recipes — it’s a tapestry of chai-focused traditions, infused experiences, and cross-cultural food philosophies. The Social Media Anthropology Hub adds a new layer: connecting you to the people, moments, and movements that turn taste into trend and heritage into dialogue.

What Exactly Is a Social Media Anthropology Hub?

Think of it as the spice blend behind the scenes. This isn’t just a scroll-through feed or a content checklist — it’s a place for exploring how chai and culinary traditions infuse their way across the digital world. From Instagram stories of saffron-laced bakes to conversations on fermented chai blends in an online forum, we look for the “why” behind the “what.” We study how recipes are passed between generations — or reimagined in thirty seconds online. We slow down just enough to savor how online culture changes the way we cook and connect.

Here, we ask questions like:

What sacred chai rituals are being adapted (or misrepresented) in digital storytelling?
How does a viral spice blend video shape seasonal cooking habits?
Where do food influencers blur the line between inspiration and appropriation?
What does your afternoon brew say about your digital identity?

We’re not academics — but we’re curious. We don’t rush to conclusions — we let thoughts steep. This hub is for the quietly observant, the people who ask, “Why is everyone adding cardamom to everything right now, and what does that tell us?”

The Chaitomin Approach: Emotionally Aware, Intellectually Rooted

At Chaitomin, we lead with empathy — in our kitchen experiments and in our observations of culture. That means we don’t just focus on clicks and shares; we focus on impact. Who benefits when a chai latte goes viral? What traditions are upheld or misunderstood online? Why does a hand-poured brew in a grandma’s kitchen video feel more powerful than a polished brand ad?

We hold space for these conversations with respect, curiosity, and emotional literacy. Our goal? To engage with the world not just as consumers of food content — but as meaning-makers, co-creators, and cultural readers.

The Culture of Tea, the Culture of Connection

Chai is never just a beverage — and you’ll find that reflected across our hub. We believe that to understand tea culture is to understand how people come together. The way someone photographs a brewing pot, the caption they choose, the family story they share — it all matters. It’s anthropology in motion, spiced with stories of identity, resilience, comfort, migration, and modern reinvention.

We encourage you to explore, comment, reflect, and share your own insights. Found a tea trend that touched your heart? A reel that made you rethink a recipe? A dialogue on cultural borrowing that sparked questions? This is the place to examine those intersections with depth, compassion, and maybe a little cinnamon.

Topics You’ll Find in the Hub

Digital Ritual: Exploring how traditional tea practices adapt online — live brewing, recipe demonstrations, chai meditation sessions, and more.
Spice Trends, Timeline Shifts: Tracking how ingredients like turmeric, ginger, and tulsi rise (and fade) in popularity and what shapes that cycle.
Emotional Recipes: How creators pair storytelling with chai recipes to build connection — grief soup and spicy comfort, anyone?
The Aesthetic Layer: Analyzing how tea is styled, filtered, and performed visually for platforms like TikTok and Pinterest.
Social Listening Sessions: Monthly reflections on what questions are bubbling up across food spaces — and how meaningful they feel.

Our Golden Rule: Stir With Respect

Our only non-negotiable ingredient? Respect. The internet can be a whirlwind of snapshots and snippets. We’re here to add warmth and depth back into the conversation — to blend precision with grace. If you’re participating in Hub dialogues (which we absolutely hope you will), we ask that you:

Lead with humility: We’re all students here, and lived experience matters as much as an external source.
Credit where due: Behind every viral recipe is someone’s kitchen legacy. Honor that.
Ask, don’t assume: If something’s new to you, invite dialogue instead of making declarations.
Pause before posting: It helps us share with intention, and (bonus!) makes better conversation, too.

Meet Othrian Kelvayne’s Vision

Othrian Kelvayne founded Chaitomin not just to share recipes, but to rekindle the emotional and cultural wisdom woven into every cup of chai. His philosophy? Culinary connection begins with observation. Othrian sees food not as content—but as a conversation passed hand to hand, kitchen to kitchen, screen to heart. Drawing on his background as a food communicator and lifelong enthusiast of cross-cultural tea rites, he created this hub to invite inquiry, not influence. He believes that when we stop and truly listen to stories behind the spices, we find new ways to connect — both online and off.

Get in Touch

Questions? Want to contribute a chai story? Noticed a food trope online that deserves thoughtful discussion? We’d love to hear from you. Reach us at [email protected] or give us a call at +1 906-396-5631.

Open Monday to Friday, 9 AM–5 PM EST

Visit us in person at 2032 Wood Duck Drive, Iron Mountain, Michigan 49801, United States, or connect with us right here — where every post, question, and quiet observation adds to our flavorful shared story. Let’s stir together, mindfully.