When You Visit Egypt, You Must Try These Drinks!

One of my favorite memories of Egypt is sipping fresh drinks at a local cafe. I loved grabbing a chair on the sidewalk to watch the world go by, or settling myself at a small table inside. Breathing in the fruity smells of shisha. Listening to the soft clatter of dominoes and backgammon in the background. The toughest part was choosing what to order. A traditional coffeehouse (ahwa) offers a number of delicious hot and cold drinks. In today’s post, we sample them all…

A huge thank you to Mark Voss in Cairo for the incredible pictures of these beverages. You can profit from his expert photography skills too! As the President and Founder of Antique Lands Travel, Mark plans custom trips to places in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and more, where he’ll also join you as a guide and trip photographer. His cultural knowledge and artistic skills will make the trip one you’ll never forget. Check out his magical travel experiences and examples of his photography here.

Turkish Coffee

People make this strong coffee in small pots on the stove or atop a bed of hot coals. Sugar is added as it boils, so note how sweet you want it when ordering. Ask for ahwa saada (plain coffee, without sugar), mazboota (medium sweet) or zeeyaada (extra sweet). Pour the hot coffee directly into your small cup. The grounds will settle to the bottom, leaving a thick caramel-colored brew for you to savor.

Tea with Mint

Tea with mint (shai na’na’) is a standard order at any Egyptian cafe. Hot black tea, loose leaf or bagged, is mixed with fresh springs of mint and sugar. But unlike Turkish coffee, these additions usually come on the side, to add as you see fit. I like to toss in a few sprigs of mint, then stir in several small spoons of sugar for a rich sweetness. Try a little less sugar for a stronger mint taste.

Yansoon

Yansoon is a strong anise tea without caffeine. Add sugar if you like or drink it straight. Some say the golden yellow beverage tastes like medicine, but I disagree. This fragrant infusion reminds me of licorice and, served hot, provides a nice alternative to tea or coffee. That said, the drink does have medicinal benefits — it aids digestion, soothes sore throats, and may boost the immune system.

Kerkaday

The iced drink kerkaday is fantastically refreshing on a hot day. This infusion of hibiscus flowers gives the drink its dark-red color and fruity taste, sweetened with honey or sugar. Kerkaday‘s origins stretch back to the time of the pharaohs, and people also cite its medicinal qualities, including its high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants. You can serve it hot in winter too, but I think its flavor truly shines with ice and a touch of sugar.

Asab

One of the more unique drinks in Egypt is sugarcane juice or asab. Machines in coffeehouses and juice-stands squeeze the long stalks to extract the juice. Sugarcane is naturally sweet, of course, and so the drink is as well. The cloudy green liquid quenches the thirst and is easily thrown back in a few long gulps. For the freshest juice, look for asab during the sugarcane harvest in the winter or spring.

Lemon with Mint

A cold lemonade (‘aseer limoon) or lemon with mint (limoon bil-na’na’) is another staple in Egyptian cafes and restaurants. In fact, when entering an establishment, it’s common to hear the whirring crunch of ice and lemons in a blender. The recipe is deliciously simple. Lemon juice or whole seeded lemons are combined in a blender with ice, sugar, and copious amounts of fresh mint. The result is a drink that’s both tart and sweet, flecked by green dots of mint.

Mango Juice

One of my fondest memories of Cairo is a hole-in-the-wall juice stand that only sold mango juice. The narrow store under an overpass in Doqqi was always packed. Their generous cups of juice had a few mango chunks at the bottom, a hidden treasure after slurping down the cool beverage. Cafes often have mango juice (‘aseer manga) on their menus as well. Look for a stack of fresh fruit behind the counter.

What Next?

Pause a minute to stop salivating… I mean, you’ve got to be thirsty now, right? Let me know which drink you are craving and which ones you’ve had before. Personally, I have a soft spot for yansoon, and we make a great cup of tea with mint here in our house. If you want to try some recipes yourself, many Middle Eastern cookbooks include recipes for coffee and mint tea. For a broader range of drinks, check out the beverage sections of Classic Vegetarian Cooking from the Middle East and North Africa or The Food of Oman: Recipes and Stories from the Gateway to Arabia (both profiled here).

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