Jordanian Tea (Bedouin Tea)

No Arabic meal is complete without Arabic tea drank with your friends and family! This is the best Jordanian Tea recipe you will ever make! Follow all my directions below and you will be drinking the most flavorful Arabic tea you have ever had.

Jordanians are known for their hospitality, and after every meal they serve delicious sweet tea. When you visit someone's home, you are served either Arabic tea, or strong coffee.

Arabic Jordanian tea is SO easy to make and is a must know recipe if you love Arabic cuisine and culture.

Do you love Arabic food and want to learn how to make delicious authentic Arabic recipes at home? Make sure to read my complete guide on Cooking Arabic Food at Home!

WHAT KIND OF TEA DO JORDANIANS DRINK?

Jordanians drink a heavy version of Arabic tea, called Bedouin tea. Bedouin tea has a rich dark flavor, because it steeps for much longer. Jordanians will usually add sugar right to the tea pot.. but once in a while you will see sugar on the side.

Depending on the person making the tea, they add their favorite spices: mint and cardamom are most commonly used, but you will see some people also adding cinnamon or cloves.

WHAT IS JORDANIAN TEA MADE OF?

There are 4 simple ingredients in Jordanian tea:

1. Black tea (can use loose or tea bags)
2. Water
3. Sugar
4. Spice of choice: mint, cardamom pods, cinnamon

INGREDIENTS IN BEDOUIN TEA: The Bedouins are the original nomads, they traveled for miles and miles to get to their next food source. Mainly relying on the simplest ingredients for their food and beverages, plain Bedouin tea is a very simple Arabic tea made of black tea, water, sometimes sugar, and sometimes spices.

WHAT DO ARABS ADD TO TEA?

There are SO many types of Arabic tea, so to call one recipe "Arabic Tea" and be done with it would give all the diversity of the Arabic world a disservice. Some Arabs, like the Bedouins, Jordanians, and Egyptians make a heavy darker version of Arabic tea. Others make a very light tea that is so easy to drink many cups of.

While the measurements, time steeped, and herbs added vary so greatly from country to country across the Middle East, there are a couple simple ingredients you can have on hand to make Arabic tea any way that you like:

1. Black tea
2. Sugar (some use honey)
3. Fresh mint, cardamom pods, whole cinnamon sticks, or sage leaves

WHAT HERBS ARE IN BEDOUIN TEA?

Bedouins did not always have fresh herbs to add to their tea, as they traveled far and wide traditionally and made due with very little. However, the most common Bedouin herbs you will find in Jordanian tea are mint leaves or cardamom pods.

HOW TO MAKE JORDANIAN BEDOUIN TEA

Jordanian Bedouin Tea is made with 2 simple steps: heating water, and steeping the black tea with herbs and sugar. The key to make traditional heavy Jordanian tea, is to let your tea steep longer than other versions of Arabic tea, giving you that dark tea color.

STEP 1- PREPARE TEA POT WITH TEA AND SPICES

First, heat about 4 cups of water to a boil. While the water is heating, add 4 tea bags, 10 cardamom pods (or a handful of fresh mint leaves if you have them) and 1 cup of sugar to a tea pot.

Pour the boiling water into the tea pot and cover with the lid.

STEP 2- STEEP TEA

Let your tea steep about 10-15 minutes on the stove. Pour out a cup of tea after 15 minutes to see how dark it is. If it does not look dark enough, continue to steep it until it is a very rich deep tea color.

Once your Jordanian tea is dark enough, turn on the burner and bring your tea to a boil.

Serve Arabic tea piping hot immediately!

HOW TO SERVE TRADITIONAL JORDANIAN TEA

Traditional Jordanian Tea is served by the woman of the house to her guests. Usually she will bring out the pretty Arabic tea cups on a serving platter with a tea pot. Arabic tea cups are small and usually adorned with a pretty pattern.

Jordanian tea is typically served alongside sweets and other finger foods to enjoy after a big meal.

Sit back, sip the delicious tea and enjoy the company of friends and family!

If you love the culture of Jordan, and want to learn more Jordanian recipes, try some of my authentic Jordanian recipes learned from my Jordanian family:

• Arabic Chopped Salad
• Shorbat Adas
• Galayet Bandora
• Maqluba
• Fasolia
• Ouzi Lamb
• Stuffed Grape Leaves
• Stuffed Chicken
• Qatayef
• Basbousa

If you try my Jordanian Tea Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!