Learning how to make Somali tea is easier than the long spice list suggests. Somali tea, known as shaah, is a fragrant spiced black tea from the Horn of Africa, made by simmering black tea with a warm, cardamom-forward spice blend, sweetening it generously, and finishing it with milk or serving it clear. This guide covers the spices, a full somali tea recipe with amounts, the steps, and simple ways to tune the cup to your taste.
What is shaah? Somali tea in brief
Shaah (also written shah) is the everyday tea of Somali homes and cafes across the Horn of Africa, from Somalia and the wider East African coast to the global Somali diaspora. It is poured for guests as a sign of welcome, sipped through the day, and served after meals, often alongside sweets, dates, or fried snacks. The drink reflects centuries of trade along the East African and Arabian coasts, where cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves travelled the same routes as coffee, cloth, and incense. In many households a big pot of shaah is made for the whole family and poured into small glasses.
Unlike a plain cup, shaah leans hard on aromatic spices and a fairly generous hand with sugar. It sits in the same broad family as other spiced and regional teas: it shares the sweet-and-fragrant idea of a South Asian spiced milk tea, and the hospitality of a slow North African mint tea pour, yet its cardamom-led profile is all its own. If you are new to loose leaf altogether, it helps to know the fundamentals of making tea before you start layering in spices.
The spices: a cardamom-forward xawaash-style blend
The soul of Somali spiced tea is xawaash (roughly ha-WASH), a warm blend of ground spices used across Somali cooking. For tea, the blend is led firmly by green cardamom, with cinnamon and clove in support and, in some homes, a little ginger, nutmeg, or black pepper. You do not need a jar of premixed xawaash to begin; a few whole spices dropped straight into the pot give a cleaner, fresher aroma than a stale ground mix.
Cardamom is the signature note, so let it lead. Cinnamon adds rounded sweetness, cloves bring a deep, almost resinous warmth (easy to overdo, so go light), and fresh ginger lends a gentle heat that is especially welcome on cold days. Lightly crushing or bruising the whole spices before they hit the water releases more of their oils and gives a fuller, more aromatic cup.
Ingredients and amounts
This somali tea recipe makes about four small glasses. Treat the numbers as a starting point and adjust the cardamom and sugar to taste. A brisk, full-bodied black tea holds up best against the spices; loose leaf from the Assam region or East African estates works well, and good black tea bags are fine too. For more on getting body and colour out of the leaves, see this guide to brewing black tea.
| Component | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 4 cups (about 1 liter / 34 oz) | The base that carries the spices and tea |
| Black tea | 2-3 tsp loose leaf, or 2-3 bags | A brisk, full-bodied tea stands up to the spice |
| Green cardamom pods | 5-6, lightly crushed | The signature aroma of shaah; lead with this |
| Cinnamon | 1 small stick (or 1/2 tsp ground) | Warm, rounded sweetness |
| Whole cloves | 3-4 | Deep warmth; easy to overpower, so go light |
| Fresh ginger | 2-3 thin slices (optional) | Adds gentle heat, nice in cold weather |
| Sugar | 2-4 tsp, to taste | Shaah is traditionally on the sweet side |
| Milk | 1/2 to 1 cup (optional) | For a milky style; omit for a clear glass |
How to Make Somali Tea, Step by Step
The whole thing comes together in under fifteen minutes. The key idea is to let the spices infuse the water first, then add the tea for only a short simmer so it stays fragrant rather than harsh.
- Crush the spices. Lightly bruise the cardamom pods and, if using, break the cinnamon stick with the back of a spoon or a mortar. Cracking them open lets the aromatic oils escape into the water.
- Simmer the water and spices. Add the water, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to a pot and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Let it bubble softly for 4-5 minutes so the spices bloom and the water takes on colour and scent.
- Add the black tea. Stir in the loose leaf or bags. Simmer briefly, about 3-4 minutes, until the tea is a deep reddish-brown. Keep it gentle; a long, hard boil pulls out bitter tannins and dulls the aroma.
- Sweeten. Add sugar to taste while the pot is still hot and stir until it dissolves. Sweetening in the pot, rather than the glass, lets the sugar marry with the spices.
- Add milk, if using. For a milky shaah, pour in the milk now and bring everything back to a gentle simmer for a minute or two. For a clear style, skip this step entirely.
- Strain and serve. Pour through a fine strainer into small glasses or cups, leaving the spent leaves and spices behind. Serve hot, ideally with something sweet on the side.
Clear vs milky shaah
Shaah is served two main ways, and both are traditional. Clear shaah (sometimes called shaah bigays) skips the milk, so the spiced black tea shows through bright and translucent in the glass. It is common after meals and in warmer weather, and it lets the cardamom and cinnamon read most clearly. Sweeten it well and it drinks almost like a spiced, tea-based cordial.
Milky shaah (shaah caddeys) adds milk near the end for a softer, creamier, paler cup, closer in feel to a spiced milk tea. Whole milk gives the richest result, but any milk works; add it earlier and simmer a touch longer if you like it very milky. Neither version is more correct than the other, so make whichever suits the moment, the season, or the guest.
Adjusting the spice and sweetness
The beauty of a homemade shaah recipe is how easily it bends to taste. If the cardamom feels shy, add a pod or two and simmer a little longer, or crush the pods more thoroughly. If the cloves take over with a sharp, dominating note, cut back to two next time; they are the spice most people overdo. A few slices of ginger warm up a cold morning, while a small pinch of nutmeg or a single peppercorn adds quiet depth for those who like it.
Sweetness is personal. Traditional shaah runs sweet, but you can dial the sugar right down and still get a fragrant cup, since the spices carry a lot of the perceived sweetness on their own. Steep the tea a little longer for a stronger, brisker brew, or pull it early and lean on the spices for a lighter, more perfumed glass. Keep notes on what you crush and how long you simmer, and you will land on your own house version fast.
One light note: shaah is a caffeinated black tea with warming culinary spices. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medication, it is worth checking with your own healthcare provider about caffeine and strong spices before making it a daily habit. Responses vary from person to person, and this is general information, not medical advice.