In Muslim countries, tea is more than just a hot drink. It is very important to the heritage, traditions and cultures in which it originates. To start the weekend, we celebrate the art of tea, with 24 different types of tea from across the Muslim world… A thread…
1/ Moroccan Mint Tea Made by steeping green tea with a generous handful of spearmint leaves, it is sometimes also made with other types of mint or herbs, and traditionally served in small glass cups
2/ Persian Chai Black tea, called chai in Farsi, is one of the most popular drinks in Iran. It is so popular that it is more than just a drink – it is part of Persian culture. Black tea leaves are boiled with cardamom pods for the perfect Persian chai
3/ Somali Shaah A spiced black chai made throughout Somalia. It is found across the Somali diaspora & is a cousin of Yemeni, Kenyan & Indian chais. It differs from other chais in that it often omits black pepper, & the milk is added after the cooking process
4/ Egyptian Koshary Shai Generally the preferred tea in the northern part of Egypt. It is a lighter tea, that is prepared by the steeping tea leaves in hot water. Sugar is added in copious amounts. Sometimes, mint leaves are added to make the tea refreshing
5/ Pakistani Masala Chai Masala means spice, and chai means tea. Therefore, masala chai means tea with spices. It's typically made of loose leaf black tea like assam, whole milk, a variety of fragrant and warming spices including cloves & cinnamon, and sugar
6/ Z-hourat, Lebanon & Syria A popular herbal tea made from a blend of aromatic herbs. This tea is the perfect combination of rich herbs, fragrant smells & goodness. It includes dried Rose petals, Lavender, Hibiscus, Chamomile, Thyme, Sage & Mint
7/ Afghani Kahwah A combination of green tea, cardamom pods, cinnamon bark & saffron strands. It may also include peppercorns, ginger & almonds. Each family has their own recipe passed down from generation to generation
8/ Saudi Finjan Erfeh A spicy zesty tea from Saudi Arabia. Made with black tea leaves, anise seeds, honey, lemon juice and sugar
9/ Kashmiri Tea Often called Pink Tea, Kashmiri chai is a milk tea characterized by its dusty pink color and garnishing of crushed nuts. It's brewed with green tea leaves and baking soda, and then mixed with milk to give it a distinct pink colour
10/ Palestinian Shay bil Maramiya (شاي بالمرامية) Made by steeping black tea leaves with dried sage. It takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish and is a common treatment for stomach aches. A little sugar is mixed in as desired
11/ Mauritian Tea Black tea is the traditional choice in Mauritius, however, the locally-produced vanilla tea is a firm favourite. In Mauritius, tea is usually served sweet, with a hefty dose of powdered milk
12/ Turkish Tea Turks use curved, tulip-shaped tea glasses on a small saucer to serve their traditional delicious popular black tea, which has a unique slightly bitter taste, and is sweetened with sugar
13/ Yemeni Shai Adeni Shai Adeni (Shahi Mulaban, Shahi Haleeb, Arabic Shai, Adeni Tea) is a Yemeni tea from the coastal city of Aden flavored with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk with a bit of sugar
14/ Iraqi Chai Prepared in a special way boiling tea in hot water, then placing it over a second tea pot with boiling water to let the tea infuse. Iraqi tea is renowned for being a lot stronger, richer & sweeter than those found in neighbouring countries
15/ Omani Spiced Milk Tea Called Special Karak in Oman, this sweet milk tea is spiced with cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and ginger. Sweetened condensed milk brings intense creaminess
16/ Sudanese Cinnamon Tea A blend of black tea steeped with cinnamon sticks. Many people like to hold a sugar cube between the teeth while drinking to sweeten the brew
17/ Uzbek Tea Tea is the main drink in Uzbekistan. Any meal starts with Uzbek tea and ends with it. The most popular is green tea (kuk-choy). Black tea (kora-choy) is most popular in Tashkent. Generally, Uzbek tea is taken without sugar
18/ Ethiopian Spiced Shahee This is more of an infusion than a true tea, since it isn't made with tea leaves. It is made using ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and a slice fresh ginger boiled together
19/ Bangladeshi Tandoori Chai It’s made by taking iron tongs to place an earthen cup in a hot tandoor. When the cup is super-hot, it’s taken out and sweet milky chai is poured in, which sizzles & froths over. This chai is poured into another kulhad & served.
20/ Kuwaiti tea (Arabic: الشاي الكويتي; "Shay al Kuwaiti") There are two popular types. One is a sweet cinnamon tea made with cinnamon sticks and sugar. Another type of Kuwaiti tea is saffron and cardamom tea. This tea is usually served after lunch
21/ Teh Tarik Pulled tea, Singapore & Malaysia A hot milk tea, like Karak Chai, but with a twist. It is popular in countries like Singapore and Malaysia. A unique technique goes into making this tea, and it gets its name from it too, 'pulled tea'
22/ Persian style black tea with dried lime This type of tea is popular with Iranians. It consists of black tea leaves and dried lime. Dried lime is a lime that has dried in the sun
23/ Indian Karak Chai A traditional tea that is rich in flavor. The word karak literally means strong, and hence you know that the flavor is going to pack a punch! Made with black tea, sweetened condensed milk, freshly ground cardamom, sugar, and saffron
24/ Keralan Sulaimani Chai From the Indian state of Kerala it is popular in the UAE too. Sulaimani chayya, is a mild tea made with loose tea leaves & flavoured with lemon or mint. According to folklore, Sulaimani tea is believed to have Arab origins
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