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Tea & Karak · United Arab Emirates

Black Tea

Pending Review

Introduction

With the discovery of oil in the 1960s, a wave of Indian immigration brought workers and their favorite spiced milk tea to the United Arab Emirates. The ubiquitous chai masala of the Indian subcontinent and culture has been tweaked a little in its new home in the UAE to become chai karak, meaning "hard" or "strong" in Hindi. Chai karak, or simply, karak, has become a beloved staple of the Khaleej (Arabian Peninsula), to be consumed at any time of day.

History

With the discovery of oil in the 1960s, a wave of Indian immigration brought workers and their favorite spiced milk tea to the United Arab Emirates.
The ubiquitous chai masala of the Indian subcontinent and culture has been tweaked a little in its new home in the UAE to become chai karak, meaning "hard" or "strong" in Hindi.
Chai karak, or simply, karak, has become a beloved staple of the Khaleej (Arabian Peninsula), to be consumed at any time of day.

Ingredients

Karak chai is a much-loved beverage, made with black tea, milk and spices such as cardamom and ginger. A strong black tea is the base for chai karak.

Traditional preparation

Verified content coming soon.

Serving traditions

The drink is emblematic of the global cuisines and cultures that make up the UAE. The rapid growth of the young nation attracted peoples from all over with world, who brought with them their traditions and cultures and created new roots.

Regional variations

Verified content coming soon.

References

Top Karak Chai Spots in Dubai
Government
Organization:
Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (Visit Dubai)
Publication:
2024-12-10
Retrieved:
2026-07-19
URL
Table Tales: The Global Nomad Cuisine of Abu Dhabi
Book
Organization:
Rizzoli
Publication:
Hanan Sayed Worrell (2018)
Retrieved:
2026-07-19
URL

Related recipes

Verified recipe coming soon.

Inline images

Dubai brunch café — Credit: Editorial · License: Licensed

Abu Dhabi fountain twilight — Credit: Editorial · License: Licensed

Step images

Tea preparation display — Credit: Editorial · License: Licensed

Gallery

Back to Tea & Karak More in United Arab Emirates

Introduction

With the discovery of oil in the 1960s, a wave of Indian immigration brought workers and their favorite spiced milk tea to the United Arab Emirates. The ubiquitous chai masala of the Indian subcontinent and culture has been tweaked a little in its new home in the UAE to become chai karak, meaning "hard" or "strong" in Hindi. Chai karak, or simply, karak, has become a beloved staple of the Khaleej (Arabian Peninsula), to be consumed at any time of day.

History

With the discovery of oil in the 1960s, a wave of Indian immigration brought workers and their favorite spiced milk tea to the United Arab Emirates.
The ubiquitous chai masala of the Indian subcontinent and culture has been tweaked a little in its new home in the UAE to become chai karak, meaning "hard" or "strong" in Hindi.
Chai karak, or simply, karak, has become a beloved staple of the Khaleej (Arabian Peninsula), to be consumed at any time of day.

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Black Tea

Introduction

History

Ingredients

Traditional preparation

Serving traditions

Regional variations

References

Related recipes

Inline images

Step images

Gallery

Hero image

Black Tea

Introduction

History

Ingredients

Traditional preparation

Serving traditions

Regional variations

References

Related recipes

Inline images

Step images

Gallery

Saffron Tea

Mint Tea

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Introduction

History

Ingredients

Traditional preparation

Serving traditions

Regional variations

Related guides

Karak Chai

Milk Tea

References

Related recipes

Inline images

Step images

Gallery

Hero image

Introduction

History

Ingredients

Traditional preparation

Serving traditions

Regional variations

Related guides

Karak Chai

Milk Tea

References

Related recipes

Inline images

Step images

Gallery

Saffron Tea

Mint Tea

Product

Company

Legal