Arabic tea

Did You Know?

• Tea was first cultivated in ancient China during the Shang Dynasty (1766–1050 BC).
• Arab merchants brought tea back from the Silk Road to their own nations.
• In Yemen, black tea is brewed in water and milk.

Varieties

Arabic tea comes in many varieties, each with its own purpose and tradition. Sage tea is often drunk after meals to help with digestion and relieve gas or heartburn. Anise tea has been a familiar drink for centuries. Thyme tea is valued for its high antioxidant content. Cardamom tea, known for its powerful scent, is widespread across the Arab world and sometimes blended with coffee. It is believed to support digestion, increase saliva production, and is consumed before meals to stimulate digestive enzymes. Despite being one of the priciest spices globally, cardamom is still mostly hand-harvested for many Arab consumers. Maghrebi mint tea, called at-tay, is a green tea made with spearmint leaves and sugar, a staple in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania. Mint tea is widely popular in parts of the Arab world and is often used to ease colds, sore throats, sinus congestion, and stomach ulcers. Black tea is the most common type. Cinnamon tea, also known as Kuwaiti tea, is made by boiling water with cinnamon sticks and sugar. Bedouin tea is prepared by nomadic Bedouins over an open fire, typically mixing dried herbs like thyme or sage with spices such as cardamom or cinnamon. Hibiscus tea is served hot in winter and cold in summer. Dried lime tea, also called chai noomi basra, noomi basra tea, or loomi tea, is an herbal tea made from dried limes, traditional in Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Chamomile tea is brewed from dried chamomile flowers for medicinal purposes. Qurniyya, made from Micromeria fruticosa, is a medicinal tea used to treat various ailments.