Everyday Ritual · Cardamom-Spiced Black Tea
Shaah Somali
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It's brewed with whole cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves simmered directly in the milk and water — closer to a mini chai ceremony than a teabag-and-hot-water routine.
Shaah is strong black tea boiled with milk, sugar, and a mix of whole spices — usually cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves — until deeply fragrant, then strained into small glasses. It's poured constantly at roadside tea stalls across Somali cities and is the fixture around which most street-corner conversation happens.
Why it's made this way: With alcohol absent from daily life, spiced tea stalls function as Somalia's real social hubs, and the specific spice blend is a point of regional pride and rivalry.
More from Somalia
Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries.
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