☕ Karak tea
Karak tea is the Gulf's favourite street drink: strong black tea boiled with cardamom, sugar and evaporated milk, often with a few threads of saffron. The long boil makes it dark, creamy and intensely spiced. It is handed through car windows at roadside cafeterias in small cups and is a fixture of evenings out across the region.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 ml water
- 2 tbsp loose black tea
- 4 cardamom pods, crushed
- A few saffron threads
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 150 ml evaporated milk
Method
- Boil the water with the cardamom and saffron.
- Add the tea and sugar and boil for 3–4 minutes until dark.
- Pour in the evaporated milk, bring back to the boil and let it rise two or three times.
- Strain into small cups and serve hot.
How to make it lighter
- Cut the sugar by half; each teaspoon is about 16 kcal.
- Use light evaporated milk or a splash more water.
- Choose the small cup — a standard serving is around 200 ml.
History
Karak tea grew out of the spiced milk teas brought to the Gulf by South Asian communities, and the name is usually explained as meaning 'strong'. It has since become part of everyday life in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Count it in one photo
Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Karak tea and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.
Download on the App StoreSimilar dishes
Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →