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Arabic tea

Two glasses of Arabic tea
Alternative names	šāy ʿarabiyy
Type	Tea
Course	Drink
Place of origin	Arab world
Region or state	Arab World
Associatedcuisine	Arab cuisine
Serving temperature	Hot
Media: Arabic tea

Arabic tea (Arabic:شَايْ عَرَبي,romanized: šhāy ʿarabiyy, pronouncedshay[ʃæiː]^ⓘ) is a variety of hot teas popular throughout theArab world. It is commonly served to guests andbusiness partners atmeetings andsocial events, and has been drunk by Arab people for centuries.^[1][2]

Tea was first cultivated in ancient China during theShang Dynasty (1766–1050 BC). Preferred for its medicinal properties, tea made its way to the Middle East as soon as Arab merchants started travelling theSilk Road who brought tea back to their own nations. Tea developed from a basic beverage to an essential part of the regional way of life as it became more popular across the Middle East.^[3][4]

Tea is an important drink in the Arab world and is usually served with breakfast, after lunch, and with dinner. For Arabs, tea denoteshospitality, and is typically served to guests. Tea owes its popularity to its social nature; it is an important aspect of hospitality and business etiquette inArab culture. Rejecting a cup of tea may sometimes be considered rude.^[5][6][7]

There are many different types of Arabic tea:

• Sage (Arabic:مريمية,romanized: maramia) tea is typically served after a meal to aid in digestion and eliminate gas or heartburn.^{[8][9][self-published source]}
• Anise (Arabic:يانسون,romanized: yānsūn) tea has been well known for hundreds of years.^[10]
• Thyme (Arabic:زعتر,romanized: zaʿtar) tea helps improve memory and cleans out the stomach. Rich in antioxidants, this tea is also useful in preventing aging from within.^[11]
• Cardamom (Arabic:هال,romanized: hāl) tea is very common in the Arab world, and is known for its strong aroma. It is sometimes mixed with coffee, and is said to help digestion and increase saliva flow. It is drunk before meals to prepare digestive enzymes. Although one of the most expensive spices in the world, cardamom is still largely harvested by hand for many Arab customers.^{[citation needed]}
• Maghrebi mint tea (at-tāy): (Arabic:الشاي,romanized: aš-šāy;Maghrebi Arabic:التايat-tāy) is agreen tea prepared withspearmint leaves and sugar, traditional to theMaghreb region (the northwest African countries ofMorocco,Algeria,Tunisia,Libya, andMauritania). The tea originally arrived thanks to English traders and has spread in popularity throughout Africa, France, and other neighboring countries. Known for its flavor and vitality, the fresh mint used to prepareat-tāy helps to clear the palate after meals.^[12]
• Mint tea (Arabic:شاي بالنعناع,romanized: šāy bi-l-naʿnāʿ) is especially popular in parts of the Arab world.^[13] It is commonly used to get over colds, a sore throat, sinus congestion, and stomach ulcers.^{[citation needed]}
• Black tea (Arabic:شاي أحمر,romanized: šāy ʾaḥmar,lit. 'red tea') is the most common.^[1]
• Cinnamon tea orKuwaiti tea (Arabic:شاي بالقرفة,romanized: šāy bi-l-qirfah) is created by putting water in a boiler together with cinnamon sticks and sugar.^[14]

• Hibiscus (Arabic:كركديه,romanized: karkadayya) tea is drunk hot in the winter and cold in the summer.^{[citation needed]}
• Dried lime tea (Arabic:شاي لومي,romanized: šāy lūmiyy) also known as chai noomi basra, noomi basra tea or loomi tea, is a type of herbal tea made from dried limes that is traditional toIraq,Kuwait,Oman andUnited Arab Emirates.^{[citation needed]}
• Chamomile (Arabic:بابونج,romanized: bābūnaj) tea is made by brewing dried chamomile flowers for medicinal use.^[15]
• Qurniyya (قرنية,Micromeria fruticosa) medicinal tea, made to treat a variety of ailments.^[16]

Tea in the Arab world is usually a strong dark mix, similar to the so-called "breakfast tea" served in other parts of the world. Often brewed with sugar and served in long glasses, it can also be made with mint or cardamom, or with a dash of milk. In Yemen, black tea is brewed in water and milk.^[17]

• Arab culture
• Arab cuisine
• Arabic coffee
• Libyan tea
• Shahi haleeb
• Tea culture
• Turkish tea

• Arab culture
• Arabic drinks
• Tea by country
• Tea in Africa
• Tea in Asia
• Tea culture by country
• Arab inventions
• Yemeni drinks

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