Ritual Drink · Foamed Tea

Shai Libi (Libyan Tea)

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In the final round, roasted peanuts or almonds are often dropped straight into the glass, to be fished out and eaten once the tea is finished.

Strong black tea is boiled down in a small stovetop kettle, sweetened heavily, then poured back and forth between glass and kettle from a height until a thick tan foam sits on top. Street kiosks and home stalls in Tripoli serve it in small glass cups, usually in several rounds.

Why it's made this way: The foam, called raghwa, is the mark of a well-made glass, and the long pour that builds it is shared with tea traditions across the Sahara and the Maghreb.