Tea in Sahara - Erg Chebbi, Morocco

Morning tea served in the middle of the desert with goats' dung around the table :)

It was such a memorable place to have tea - the desert! In the middle of the desert, we were served the herbal Berber tea.  Ali invited us to have a sip of this magical drink and he told us the flavor of the tea can be altered by pouring it at different heights. We looked at one another and I sensed that it must be the way the tea was presented - on a little table lined with scruffy table cloth with goats' dung all over the place. I spoke in my language to the girls, "Let's have a drink and don't offend our sincere host." I picked few strands of grass or maybe herbs from my tea and quickly gulp it down my throat and not to think of anything.  

The water for our tea comes from this well in the middle of the desert

Last night when we arrived at the camp, we were served the same tea under a canvas of stars in the sky and the dim light of the candles, and no one complained but today in the broad day light, they started to see the tea differently. 

Ali invited us to the well of fortune which has provided him and his guests the supply of water. The small well is well covered with a kilim to keep it safe from the sand. Anyway, the sweet Berber herbal tea will boost our energy before we start riding our camels through the desert.   

Beber tea

Tea Culture - Iran

Tea served in open air Sa'adabad Restaurant in Tehran

Tea is served almost everywhere and in every occasion in Iran. Brewed in the kettle, it is usually darker and bitter than the one I usually have back at home. No wonder, Iranians would put a lump of rock sugar in their mouth before sipping their tea. Unfamiliar with the way tea is consumed in this country, I'd rather stir my sugar until it dissolved perfectly. In the bazaar, the chai (tea) boy runs around delivering tea, while the shop owners interact and do business with tea. The tea culture is so dominant and imposing that it's hard to reject an offer for a cup of tea.

Swirling the saffron flavored crystal rock sugar in our tea

Our experience with tea began as soon as we stepped our feet in Iran. We had an eight-hour flight to Tehran followed by another 5 hours drive to Mazandaran. In the middle of the darkness, our taxi driver stopped at one of the tea house on the highway to have a cup of tea. It was about 1 am and he must be sleepy - the tea kept him awake until we arrived to our destination. On arrival at our host's house in Babol, Mazandaran we were served tea at 3am. The greetings and welcoming was as warm as the cup of tea served!

Taking tea is a ritual unto itself and as such the drink is offered in the beginning of an occasion as well as at the end of most meals. In Eram Garden in Shiraz and Sa'adabad Palace in Tehran, we had tea in Chaikhaneh (Tea House) served on a takhts (low rise platform) covered with rugs and pillows. We have to remove our shoes, sit on the platform and the tablecloth is laid at our feet. While sipping our tea we could recline on the pillows, chat with our friends and the whole experience was very relaxing especially with green trees and flowers surrounding the takhts. 

The takht we sat in Saadabad

In Sa'adabad, the tea house has live band performing with male singer singing Iranian songs. While waiting for tea and food to be served the Iranians were singing along to the tune and some young vibrant girls started to clap their hands, move their heads and tap their feet to the music. Not long after that, the management staff approached the girls to remind them that they were not supposed to be singing or dancing in public. Though the conversation was in Persian, we understood what was going on when Soudabeh translated the whole conversation between the man and the girls. We smiled when Soudabeh started to sing in a whispering voice and she assured us, "My voice is not going to hurt them!"

Dates, Saffron flavored rock sugar and tea

The cool blue jelly served with tea 

Takht at the tea house in Eram Garden, Shiraz

 

Tea house in Eram, Shiraz set in a beautiful garden of pomegranate  

Tea served in the street shops in Shiraz

Happy girls clapping and enjoying themselves for a moment

Live band in Sa'adabad

Tea House in the middle of the highway to Mazandaran

Tea and Simit - Turkey

Hot apple tea

Interestingly, when you visit the carpet shops or any other shops in Turkey, you'll be offered glasses of tea in the process of closing a deal. The shops owners would come up with a list of choices, "What would you like? Apple tea, rose tea or black tea." Of course, the most popular choice among the tourists would be apple tea as Turkey is known for it. I had the pleasure of sampling several types of Turkish tea and my favorite will always be the apple tea.

Apple tea and rose tea

If the shop owners are too busy to serve their customers, in a few minutes, the tea boy would come running from no where, to serve you the hot aromatic apple tea in tiny tulip shaped glasses. I think, drinking tea is a way of life and part of the Turkish culture. It is a sign of hospitality by the host and to refuse would be an insult. I enjoyed every glass of tea I had in Turkey and even after a stomach busting dinner, a glass or two will not hurt. 

In the morning, I like to have my tea with the light, crunchy, golden brown Simit topped generously with sesame. Simit is a famous street fast food and it can be easily found on streets in Istanbul or any cities in Turkey.  It can be eaten with jam, tahini, butter or cheese but I love Simit just on its own. So the next time when you're in Turkey indulge yourself with tea and Simit!

Popular Simit vendor at Sultanahmet Square

Enticing Simits

Warm Simits