I’m curious about the tea — when we visited Morocco everywhere we went we were offered beautiful mint tea (I’m a tea nut, drink English Breakfast all day!) what type and how is it served in Cairo?
This is a great question! I hope you had a wonderful time in Morocco--I went a few years ago and loved it. Definitely a must-visit country for tea nuts.
In Egypt, when someone offers you tea, or “shai” as it’s called here, they probably mean plain black tea. I've seen it served loose leaf but Lipton and El Aroosa, a super affordable Egyptian brand, are very popular.
People often add mint, though as more of a garnish--it's not the same sweet, extra-minty preparation they make in Morocco (which I found highly addictive). It's typically served with sugar and in small cups made of glass or crystal. Here’s an article that explains in more depth! https://egyptianstreets.com/2021/09/22/drinking-tea-like-an-egyptian/
Love it! Thank you so much for the link, Sam. I loved Morocco and my fondest tea memory was when we were driving through the Atlas and then through the pre-Sahara when we blew a tire (That’s the bad part, but we had a spare) when out of nowhere, a young boy comes running up to us, maybe ten years old, with a pot of mint tea and three glasses! Amazing!
That is such a sweet anecdote, Jolene! Totally jives with my experience. Anytime is the right time for tea in North Africa...when I’m on the road, I often see drivers with one hand on the wheel, the other holding a glass mug of steaming hot tea. It's a little terrifying considering the traffic here, but I genuinely respect the dedication, haha.
This post warms my heart. Such kind, other-centered people!
They are a conscientious lot. Thanks so much for reading, as always. :)
Such a beautiful post. I’ve never been to Egypt, but your writing makes me feel like I’m walking along with you right now.
Thank you so much, Jolene--it's truly an incredible country.
I’m curious about the tea — when we visited Morocco everywhere we went we were offered beautiful mint tea (I’m a tea nut, drink English Breakfast all day!) what type and how is it served in Cairo?
This is a great question! I hope you had a wonderful time in Morocco--I went a few years ago and loved it. Definitely a must-visit country for tea nuts.
In Egypt, when someone offers you tea, or “shai” as it’s called here, they probably mean plain black tea. I've seen it served loose leaf but Lipton and El Aroosa, a super affordable Egyptian brand, are very popular.
People often add mint, though as more of a garnish--it's not the same sweet, extra-minty preparation they make in Morocco (which I found highly addictive). It's typically served with sugar and in small cups made of glass or crystal. Here’s an article that explains in more depth! https://egyptianstreets.com/2021/09/22/drinking-tea-like-an-egyptian/
Love it! Thank you so much for the link, Sam. I loved Morocco and my fondest tea memory was when we were driving through the Atlas and then through the pre-Sahara when we blew a tire (That’s the bad part, but we had a spare) when out of nowhere, a young boy comes running up to us, maybe ten years old, with a pot of mint tea and three glasses! Amazing!
That is such a sweet anecdote, Jolene! Totally jives with my experience. Anytime is the right time for tea in North Africa...when I’m on the road, I often see drivers with one hand on the wheel, the other holding a glass mug of steaming hot tea. It's a little terrifying considering the traffic here, but I genuinely respect the dedication, haha.
Ha! The dedication! Thanks again for the link, look forward to your next post.