What Is Shaah? The Somali Spiced Tea Explained
Shaah is Somali spiced tea, black tea brewed with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Here is what it is and how it is made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Shaah is Somali spiced tea, black tea brewed with warm spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, usually with milk and sugar. Fragrant and comforting, it is central to Somali hospitality, offered to guests and shared throughout the day. It is often called shaah hawaash, after the spice blend that flavours it, and every household has its own way of making it. In the UK the tea, spices and milk to make it are sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Shaah is Somali spiced tea, black tea brewed with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.
- It is usually made with milk and sugar.
- It is central to Somali hospitality and offered to guests.
- It is also called shaah hawaash, after the spice blend.
- It contains caffeine, as it is made with black tea.
A glass of shaah, fragrant with cardamom and warm with milk and sugar, is comfort and welcome in one cup for many Somalis abroad. It is the taste of a guest being made at home, of tea shared after dinner and conversation that runs late, of a household where the pot is always ready. Brewing black tea with spices far from home is reaching for that gesture of welcome that has always meant belonging.
There is quiet heritage in it, in the spices carried down the generations and along old trade routes, and in the simple act of pouring a glass for whoever arrives. To make shaah in Britain is to keep that tradition of hospitality going, and to offer a friend their first glass is to share it. That warm, welcoming taste of home is the quiet gift of shaah.
What Shaah Actually Is
Shaah is the Somali word for tea, and as a drink it refers to black tea brewed with warm spices until fragrant and inviting. The spices most associated with it are cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, and the blend is often known as hawaash, which is why the tea itself is frequently called shaah hawaash. Milk and sugar are usually added, giving a sweet, creamy, gently spiced cup, though the exact balance of spice, milk and sweetness varies from home to home.
The result is warming and aromatic, the black tea carrying the perfume of cardamom and the warmth of cinnamon and clove. It belongs to the everyday rhythm of Somali food and Somali life, a drink brewed not just for refreshment but for welcome. Please note that shaah is made with black tea and so contains caffeine, something to keep in mind later in the day or for those who prefer to avoid it.
How Shaah Is Made and Served
Making shaah begins with water brought to a simmer with the spices, cardamom pods, a stick of cinnamon and a few cloves, so their flavour infuses the pot. Black tea is added and brewed to strength, then milk and sugar are stirred in and the tea is heated through, sometimes simmered a little longer so everything melds. Cooks adjust to taste, some preferring more cardamom, others a stronger brew or a sweeter cup, and the tea is strained into glasses or cups to serve.
Shaah is served hot, often in small glasses, and is a fixture of Somali hospitality. It is offered to guests as a matter of course, shared after meals and enjoyed throughout the day, frequently alongside something sweet or a light bite. Making a pot for visitors is a gesture of welcome, and the drink brings people together over conversation. Whether brewed for the family or for company, shaah is as much about warmth and togetherness as it is about the cup itself.
Why Shaah Matters in Somali Culture
Tea holds a central place in Somali life, and shaah is far more than a hot drink. To offer a guest a glass of shaah is a basic act of hospitality, a sign of welcome and respect, and refusing to serve it would be almost unthinkable. The drink threads through daily life, marking the end of meals, the arrival of visitors and the quiet pauses of the day, and its warm, spiced aroma is bound up with the feeling of home.
The spices also speak of Somalia's place on old trade routes, where cardamom, cinnamon and cloves travelled the Indian Ocean and found their way into the teapot. Shaah hawaash carries that history in every cup, blending black tea with the fragrant spices of long-standing trade. To brew shaah is to take part in a tradition of welcome that Somali families have kept for generations, offering warmth in a glass to whoever is at the table.
Where to Buy Shaah Ingredients in the UK
Shaah is simple to make at home, and its ingredients are easy to gather in Britain from African food shops. You will want loose black tea or tea bags, whole spices such as cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and cloves, and milk and sugar to finish. Shops serving Somali and East African customers carry the fragrant cardamom and other spices that give the tea its authentic character, and often ready-mixed tea spice blends. None of it is hard to find, so shaah is a quick, inexpensive drink to make.
If you want it to taste the way it does back home, an African food shop that serves Somali customers is the natural place to find the right cardamom and spices, and often a helpful suggestion. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you to see what is nearby. Brewed with cardamom, cinnamon and clove and served hot, homemade shaah brings the warm, welcoming taste of the Somali table to your kitchen.
Frequently asked questions
What is shaah?
Shaah is Somali spiced tea, black tea brewed with warm spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, usually with milk and sugar. Fragrant and comforting, it is central to Somali hospitality, offered to guests and shared throughout the day. It is often called shaah hawaash, after the spice blend that flavours it.
What does shaah taste like?
Shaah is warm, sweet and aromatic, the black tea carrying the perfume of cardamom and the warmth of cinnamon and clove. Milk and sugar give it a creamy, gently spiced character, though the balance varies from home to home. It is comforting rather than sharp, with the spices lending fragrance rather than heat.
How is shaah made?
Water is simmered with cardamom pods, cinnamon and cloves so the spices infuse, then black tea is added and brewed to strength. Milk and sugar are stirred in and the tea is heated through, sometimes simmered a little longer. Cooks adjust the spice, strength and sweetness to taste, then strain the tea into glasses or cups to serve.
Does shaah contain caffeine?
Yes, shaah is made with black tea and so contains caffeine, something to keep in mind later in the day or for those who prefer to avoid it. The amount depends on how strong the tea is brewed. The spices, milk and sugar add flavour and comfort but do not remove the caffeine that comes from the black tea.
Where can I buy shaah ingredients in the UK?
Shaah is made at home, so African food shops are the place to buy the ingredients: black tea, whole spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, and milk and sugar. Shops serving Somali and East African customers stock the fragrant cardamom and tea spice blends that give the authentic flavour. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.
