Americans only use sage during Thanksgiving to flavor the turkey and dressing so it took me some time to get used to the herb being used in other ways. A lot of Arab countries drink sage tea on the daily basis just like their Bedouin ancestors did and still do. Sage is extremely good for you and something that I always keep in my spice cabinet. I can buy a large bag already dried really cheap here in Riyadh.
I had always wanted to try this drink since my friend Zelia always mentioned, it’s the drink of choice in Mororcco, but never got around to it. Then not long ago I was reading about Jordanian Bedouins and the drink and decided to give it a try. I was actually really surprised at how great it tasted. It has since become one of my favorite drinks and even as I type this I am sipping a cup.
2 teaspoons loose black tea
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 cardamom pods, bruised
2-1/2 cups boiling water
Sugar, to taste
1. In a saucepan on medium-high heat, add water, tea, sage and cardamom. Bring to a full boil, then allow to steep for 5 minutes.
2. Strain tea, add sugar, mix. And serve.
Yields: 2-3 servings
Thanks for this recipe- I was happy to find it! I came across a mention of Arabic tea with sage, when looking for another sage tea recipe.
An old friend, who is Bosnian Muslim, would in the morning make a simple tea of steeped Dalmatian sage, and honey. It was incredible!! When I tried it with other local American sage it never tasted exactly the same, funnily.
Anyways, I wonder if his family & friends drinking this sage year was more influenced by the local sage growing there….or if it’s more a carried on tradition to do with cultural heritage? Would love to know your thoughts on this.
I’ll be trying this tea soon. Thanks!