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Almost
everywhere you are welcomed with tea or karkade in Egypt.
The karkade is a very, very sweet tea, drawn in sugar, with
hibiscus flowers-Japanese rose- and much vitamin C. The
Egypt`s national drink is the tea, holding the main place.
The Egypt tea is named shai and is imported only from Sri
Lanka and Kenya.
The tea is
considered a strategic crop by the government of Egypt. The
most recent tea that entered in Egypt is the green tea that
is not very popular yet. In the Lower Egypt (the Northern
Egypt) the Koshary tea is popular; you can prepare this tea
in the traditional way: steep the black tea in some boiled
water and let it to set for couple of minutes. |
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The cane sugar is
put in this Egypt tea as well as some leaves of fresh mint.
You can also add some milk. In general the Koshary tea is
light and one half of teaspoon is enough for a cup. in the
Upper Egypt (the Southern Egypt) the Saiidi tea is popular.
You can prepare it by boiling the black tea in water for
about 5 minutes.
This tea is very
heavy so you have to put 2 teaspoons at one cup. You have to
put more cane sugar because the Saiidi tea is very bitter.
The tea plays an important role in the Egyptian daily life,
many people being dependent of tea when they wake up in the
morning. To drink tea after the lunch is also a tradition.
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If you pay a visit to someone you
will be served a tea, no matter the socio-economic
status of the guest. Duty is the tea nickname in
Egypt, since to serve tea to a visitor is seen as a
duty. In the Egypt`s teahouses you can also serve
tisanes and karkade. The karkady is the Arabic name
of the red hibiscus tea; the plantations of karkady
are very popular in the Upper Egypt` s hot areas,
around Aswan and Qena as well as in the Fayoum
Oasis. The tourists find the tea serving very nice;
the tea supply is ready and vast. In each city of
Egypt you can find alleys with coffee shops where
you can have a nice and relaxing tea.
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The Egypt tea is a
little bit stronger that is why is preferred to be drunk
with 2 or 3 spoons of sugar, although there are people who
prefer to drink it strong. The tea leaves are in generally
left to the bottom of the cup but they are not for drink.
But in Egypt, the tea can be drunk not only in the coffee
shops but also everywhere. On the alleys and in the parks
are merchants with their stands of tea. In the big shops the
clients and the employees can as much tea as they want. The
boys who sell tea on the streets are there for the people
who want to enjoy this wonderful drink. |
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