Teas of the Arabian Peninsula

Beverages

“Cook Around the Globe”, hosted by German Mama of Arepas to Zwetschgen, invited us to explore the cuisines of the Arabian Peninsula for the month of September. I started out looking at cookies because I thought I would challenge myself and cook up some cookies, something I don’t do (story for another time). However, one of the cookie recipes mentioned Arabian teas which caught my interest since I have been on a quest for the best of the best in teas for a few years now.

Black Tea with Sage. @MJsKitchen

In my research, I found that tea is an important drink in the Arabian Peninsula. In some countries it’s served at business meetings, with breakfast, after lunch, and with dinner. Throughout, Arabian teas are a hospitality drink that is served to one’s guests. Apparently, refusal to accept the tea could be considered an insult. But why would anyone refuse?

Here are some of the tea combinations I found, and I hope I’m at least close to the real thing. From what I found, Arabian teas are mostly made with black teas. However, green tea is starting to catch on, probably due to its health benefits.

Yemen Tea
Black tea normally brewed with cardamom, clove and/or mint.

Qatari Tea
Black Tea brewed with sugar cubes, and then topped off with evaporated milk.

Kuwaiti Tea
Black tea with cardamom, saffron, and sugar

Saudi Arabian Tea
Black tea brewed with sugar then poured into tall slender glass and filled to the brim.

Arabic Tea
Black tea with fresh sage or mint and a little sugar. This is the tea I’m featuring since I have both fresh sage and mint in the herb garden. I loved them both but the sage tea was my favorite! I believe it’s going to become one of my regulars.

Black Tea with Sage. @MJsKitchen
Arabic Tea Recipe
Prep
2 mins
Cook
5 mins
Total Time
7 mins
 

Start your day with this herby black tea, a common tea found in the Arabian Peninsula.

Course: Breakfast, tea time
Keyword: beverage
Yields: 1 serving
Ingredients
For each cup of tea
  • 1 1/2 cups boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon loose black tea leaves
  • 3 large sage leaves or a sprig of mint
  • sugar or honey to taste (I prefer honey)
Instructions
Brewing Instructions
  1. Bring water to boil. Remove from heat and let sit for about 30 seconds.
  2. Place the tea leaves and sage or mint leaves in an infuser set in a cup.

  3. Pour the water through the tea and herbs.
  4. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes.

  5. Sweeten to taste with sugar or honey.

To learn more about the Health Benefits of Tea, I recommend reading this article “Tea Time: Types of Tea and Their Health Benefits“.

36 Comments

  1. Best tea I have ever had was made with black lemons which are sum dried limes with spices in Bahrain cruise terminal love to know which spices that they used

  2. What of this red tea called haha very sweet and smells nice but expect a heartburn

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  4. This sounds really interesting! I have never had black tea with sage. Gonna give it a try soon. Hopefully I can still get fresh sage at the store. Thanks for sending this to Tea Tattle Thursday. Hugs xx

  5. Hi,

    Thanks for the info. The Mighty Leaf infuser you linked to looks more like a strainer. Is it really deep and spacious enough for steeping?

    • I use the MLT infuser in a variety of cups and it works great as a steeper. Big cups, little cups, wide cups, narrow cups – works in all of them. It will work in a pot if the pot is filled to the brim. Thanks for stopping by!!!!

  6. I loved this post! I drink tea all day and love reading about it too…Thank you so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday 🙂

  7. I am a tea lover! Haven’t tried these, but would love too. Saw this on Mix it up Monday, and am now following. Patsy

  8. Yum! found you through the 4littlefergusons foodie friday! I love tea as well and def. want to try more. Yours sounds delicious! Do you know how to start growing sage?

    http://munchtalk.blogspot.com

    • Thanks for stopping by! As you can tell, I’m a tea lover too! To start sage, just buy a little starter plant for your local nursery. Prep the ground in a sunny area with a little potting soil and stick the plant in the ground. Water when needed and the plant will blossom to provide you lots and lots of wonderful sage leaves!

  9. Thanks so much for the award, MJ! And sorry to be so slow to respond! I just made (and posted) your recipes for calabacitas enchiladas and green chile sauce. They were both fantastic! Thanks for sharing all of your great recipes!

  10. Wow–thanks, MJ! I just got back from an unscheduled blogging break, and this was a fabulous welcome back!

    Now I have to go think of 7 things about me…This’ll take me all night. 🙂

  11. Great idea to post about the different kinds of Arabic tea. I especially like the Middle Eastern mint tea. Thanks for participating in Cook Around the Globe. Hope you join again.

  12. Hi MJ!! Thanks so much for passing the award to me. 🙂 I’m honoured to be included amongst an amazing group of bloggers.
    I’ve never heard of a sage infused tea before so I shall have to try it soon!

  13. My husband is THE tea drinker..
    God he can have like 8-9 cups in a day…
    This looks fantastic, I am sure he will love this.
    You have a very nice site, thanks for stopping by at mine otherwise I would’nt have found yours…

  14. Hai MJ… We drink tea every afternoon, breakfast and lunch here in Turkey… :)) Like this article.. thx for sharing it and thx for that great tea recipe.. love it!
    xoxo

  15. Thank you, MJ!!! For the award and especially for your kind words 🙂

    I love your travel through teas… I love tea, too, and sometimes my friends bring it to me from their travels! I have original UK one, Hong Kong one and so on…
    But my favorite is always the Earl Grey.. It’s a classic 🙂

    • You’re most welcome Darlin! I, too like Earl Grey, but as a starter. I always start with a cup of black tea, then switch to green tea of which Jasmine is my favorite. During the day I eventually move to white tea then herbal. I drink a LOT of tea! 🙂

  16. Oh my God! I know about the deadline! You are just like me… I will keep things forever on my desk until I felt the deadline coming 🙂
    Congrats on the award and thanks for sharing it with me 🙂

  17. omgosh, love tea. don’t think I could give up coffee but I am a sucker for a tea + milk concoction. We had green tea lattes in Korea that I was hooked on. The drought hasn’t killed my sage and mint so I will give this a try!. Congrats on your award 🙂

  18. I LOVE this post! I am a coffee person but have been drinking more tea since meeting my husband… for obvious reasons! hehehe :-))))

    THANK YOU so much for all the great things you wrote about me MJ!!! <3 <3 <3 I really appreciate it!!! :-)))

    And I loved reading more about you… my desk is always really cluttered too!!! hehehe

  19. Thanks for stopping by my blog and for your lovely comment. I like your photographs very much and your posts are so interesting. I was reading your Preserved Lemons recipe and now I have to go make it. Thanks.

  20. Thank you very much, MJ for thinking of me and it’s an honor to be included in your list. I love how you arranged those tea cups and you’ve got a perfect angle on the shots. 🙂

    Wishing you a very enjoyable week!

    ~ ray ~

  21. @karen and @Suzi Thanks!! 🙂

  22. I agree with Karen, I would pass it back to you as well. Thank you MJ, you are wonderful. Love the tea, I have never tried putting sage leaves in tea I will have to try that.

  23. Thank you so much for the award! I will have to think of folks to pass it on to… too bad I can’t pass it back to you. 🙂

  24. YOUR GREEN CHILE SAUCE WAS TERRIFIC!!!!!!!! I made a big pot of it to use up a bag of anaheims and poblanos. I made enchiladas with some leftover turkey bits and pieces in the freezer. I was having an issue getting flavor into the filling. No matter what I did it seemed a little bland. I poured your green chile sauce over them and baked, and, Voila! Absolutely delicious! I plan to make another batch of sauce and freeze it for the next time I want a super TxMex meal or need something to save the day. Thank you MJ!

  25. I love your infused tea. Must be fragrant!

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