Essentially Somali chai, this spiced tea with milk is served most often during the Somali afternoon tea tradition known as casariya. The most important things to serve with shaah cadays are sheeko, which is the Somali term for stories. Just like Ma Gehennet’s Buna Eritrean Coffee, shaah is as much about whom you’re sharing it with as it is about what’s in your teacup. It’s all about community and conversation. Shaah cadays is also enjoyed in the morning for breakfast with Canjeero.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Crush the ginger with the bottom of a heavy pot or the blunt edge of a knife and set aside. Place the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and peppercorns in a mortar and crush with a pestle until coarsely ground (or crush on a countertop or on a cutting board with the bottom of a heavy pot). Transfer the spices to a medium saucepan set over medium heat and cook, stirring, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ginger, water, tea, and sugar and increase the heat to high. Once bubbles form around the edge, immediately reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and let it cook for just 1 minute to warm the milk, then turn off the heat. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a teapot, pitcher, or straight into tea mugs. Serve immediately while hot and add more sugar to taste if you’d like.
Recipe notes
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