🇰🇲 Comorian Cuisine

Cardamom Tea

Comorian Spiced Tea

Prep Time 5 min

Servings 4

Difficulty Easy

Calories 46 kcal

A fragrant black tea infused with crushed cardamom pods, sweetened generously, and sometimes enriched with a splash of coconut milk. This is the social lubricant of Comorian daily life.

Ingredients

4 cups water
4 teaspoons loose black tea leaves
8 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
4 tablespoons sugar
Optional: splash of coconut milk

Instructions

1 Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan.
2 Add crushed cardamom pods and let simmer for 3 minutes to release their flavor.
3 Add tea leaves and sugar. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
4 Strain into small tea glasses.
5 Add a splash of coconut milk if desired.
6 Serve hot, traditionally very sweet.

Did You Know?

In the Comoros, offering tea is the first act of hospitality. Refusing a cup of chai ya hiliki is considered extremely rude, and many business deals and marriage proposals have been conducted over these small fragrant glasses.