Arabic tea
Arabic tea is a variety of hot teas popular throughout the Arab world. It is commonly served to guests and business partners at meetings and social events, and has been drunk by Arab people for centuries.
History of Arabic tea
Tea was first cultivated in ancient China during the Shang Dynasty. Preferred for its medicinal properties, tea made its way to the Middle East as soon as Arab merchants started travelling the Silk 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.Arab society
Tea is an important drink in the Arab world and is usually served with breakfast, after lunch, and with dinner. For Arabs, tea denotes hospitality, and is typically served to guests. Tea owes its popularity to its social nature; it is an important aspect of hospitality and business etiquette in Arab culture. Rejecting a cup of tea may sometimes be considered rude.Varieties
There are many different types of Arabic tea:File:Tea and peanuts.jpg|thumb|Arabic tea in Libya with peanuts
image:The menthe.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Maghrebi mint tea in Morocco
Image:شاي أحمر.JPG|thumb|Black tea in Tunisia
- Sage tea is typically served after a meal to aid in digestion and eliminate gas or heartburn.
- Anise tea has been well known for hundreds of years.
- Thyme tea helps improve memory and cleans out the stomach. Rich in antioxidants, this tea is also useful in preventing aging from within.
- Cardamom 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.
- Maghrebi mint tea : is a green tea prepared with spearmint leaves and sugar, traditional to the Maghreb region. 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 prepare at-tāy helps to clear the palate after meals.
- Mint tea is especially popular in parts of the Arab world. It is commonly used to get over colds, a sore throat, sinus congestion, and stomach ulcers.
- Black tea is the most common.
- Cinnamon tea or Kuwaiti tea is created by putting water in a boiler together with cinnamon sticks and sugar.
Herbal tea
- Hibiscus tea is drunk hot in the winter and cold in the summer.
- Dried lime tea 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 to Iraq, Kuwait, Oman and United Arab Emirates.
- Chamomile tea is made by brewing dried chamomile flowers for medicinal use.
- Qurniyya medicinal tea, made to treat a variety of ailments.