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Tea Traditions in Muslim Cultures

May 21, 2024
3 min read

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.


For #InternationalTeaDay we celebrate the art of tea, with different types of tea from across the Muslim world…


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.


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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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..

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.

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.

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.

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.

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'

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.

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

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.


Sources of information

963 Comments

David Flame
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4 hours ago

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Jie
a day ago

AI Font Generator gives a lovely sense of how deep tea runs in daily life, and I especially enjoyed the detail about boiling black tea leaves with cardamom pods for the perfect Persian chai. It makes me want to try that blend at home soon.

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Jame Watin
5 days ago

Thank you for this insightful exploration of tea traditions in Muslim cultures! It’s fascinating to see how each region infuses its unique customs into the ritual, truly enriching the experience. It also reminds me how different variations of 2048 can bring their own unique twists to a familiar idea.

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