Iraqi chai is the single most pervasive daily institution in the country — tea shops (茶馆s) sit on nearly every street corner from Basra to Kurdistan, and offering tea is the universal gesture of hospitality and welcome. Iraq was a coffee land for centuries (Ottoman influence) before the British helped popularize tea in the modern era. The clear, hourglass-shaped serving glass is called an istikan, a name that reputedly derives from a mangled 'East Tea Can.' The tea is brewed very strong and dark, then sweetened heavily — Iraqis drink it sweeter and darker than most of their neighbors. It is drunk all day, every day, by everyone.
Dark as mahogany, strong enough to stand a spoon in when concentrated, then diluted to a deep amber in the glass. Heavily sweetened — the sugar is not optional. Cardamom, when added, gives a warm, resinous perfume. The first sip is a jolt of caffeine and sugar; the istikan warms the hand. It is the social fabric of Iraq in liquid form.
The double-pot method (a small pot of strong tea concentrate atop a samovar or kettle of boiling water) lets each drinker dilute to taste — the concentrate extracts maximum flavor and caffeine from the leaves (long steeping in near-boiling water), and diluting with hot water brings it to drinkable strength without losing heat. Iraqi tea is typically Ceylon (Sri Lankan) black tea, chosen for its strong, brisk character. The heavy sugar (often 2-3 cubes per small glass) is essential to the Iraqi palate. Cardamom, when crushed into the pot, releases aromatic oils (terpinene, cineole) that perfume the tea.
Variations
Cardamom is optional but common. Some add a rose petal. Kurdish tea is often lighter.
On the Palate
Where Iraqi Chai sits in the Iraqi flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
5 steps · 15 min
- 13 min
Bring 500ml water to a rolling boil in a kettle or the bottom of a samovar.
- 22 min
Place 4 heaped tablespoons of strong black tea (Ceylon) into a small teapot; pour about 250ml of the boiling water over the leaves; set the teapot atop the samovar or kettle to keep hot.
- 310 min
Steep the concentrate at least 10 minutes (Iraqis prefer it very strong); add 4-6 crushed cardamom pods to the pot if desired.
Watch outSteep the concentrate at least 10 minutes strong — this dark base is what each glass is diluted from, so a weak steep and the tea has no backbone.
- 41 min
To serve, half-fill an istikan (or small glass) with the dark concentrate, then top with hot water from the kettle to the drinker's preferred strength.
- 51 min
Add 2-3 sugar cubes (Iraqis sweeten heavily) and stir; serve immediately, holding the hot glass by its rim.
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