In Emirati homes, the coffee greets you and the tea sees you off. After a meal, small glasses of red tea, black tea served without milk, are poured for everyone, often with fresh mint, sometimes with a pinch of saffron or cardamom. It is called red tea because of its color in the glass, and it is usually sweet enough that the sugar is a matter of household identity.

It takes five minutes, costs almost nothing, and settles the stomach after harees or machboos. Pour a round for the last laps of the race, when no one wants to leave the sofa.

The tea

Ingredients

• 3 cups (720 ml) water
• 1 tablespoon (6 g) loose black tea
• 1 large handful (about 20 g) fresh mint sprigs
• 2 to 4 tablespoons (25 to 50 g) sugar
• 1 pinch saffron threads

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