A Warm Guide to Traditional Emirati Beverages You Can Recreate at Home This Winter

When temperatures across the UAE ease into the low twenties between December and February, kitchens shift mood. The cold brews and iced karak of summer give way to slow, aromatic drinks that have anchored Emirati hospitality for generations. Winter is when gahwa pots stay warm on the stove longer, when karak becomes a nightly ritual on the balcony, and when older recipes like sahlab and jallab find their way back onto the table.

If you have moved to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, or the northern emirates in the last few years, this is the season to build a small home repertoire of traditional Emirati and wider Khaleeji beverages. The ingredients are easy to source at Union Coop, Lulu, Carrefour, and any spice souk, the techniques are forgiving, and the payoff is a set of drinks that turn an ordinary evening into something closer to a proper majlis gathering. Here are the beverages worth learning first, in the order most UAE households actually reach for them during the cooler months.

Gahwa: The Original Welcome Drink

Gahwa, the pale, cardamom-forward Arabic coffee served in tiny handleless cups called finjan, sits at the top of the list for good reason. It is the drink that opens every majlis, greets every guest, and marks every occasion from a casual family visit to a wedding. Its cultural weight is formally recognised: Arabic coffee was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015, a joint listing by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar that acknowledged its role in generosity and social bonding.

To make it at home this winter, lightly roast green or very lightly roasted Arabica beans, grind them coarsely, and simmer with water in a dallah for around ten minutes. Add freshly crushed green cardamom, and if you like, a few strands of saffron and a small pinch of ground cloves. The colour should stay golden, never dark. Serve with fresh Khalas or Medjool dates on the side, pour only a third of a cup at a time, and refill until your guest tilts the cup gently side to side. That small wrist movement is the traditional signal that they have had enough. Pouring is always done with the right hand, and the pot is held slightly above the cup so the aroma lifts as you serve. In more formal settings, the host or the youngest family member handles the pouring, starting with the oldest guest and moving anti-clockwise around the room. These small details are not fussy formalities. They are what carry gahwa from a nice cup of coffee into a shared ritual, and once you practise them at home a few times they become second nature.

Karak Chai: The Everyday Winter Staple

If gahwa is the ceremonial drink, karak is the everyday one. Sold at every cafeteria from Al Ain to Ras Al Khaimah for a few dirhams, karak is the strong, sweet, spiced milk tea that most UAE residents drink daily through winter. It arrived through South Asian communities and settled into local life so completely that it is now part of the shared Emirati beverage vocabulary.

The home version is straightforward. Simmer loose black tea, typically Wagh Bakri or Alokozay, in water with crushed cardamom, a small piece of cinnamon, and a slice of ginger for about five minutes. Add full-fat evaporated milk, bring it back to a gentle boil, and finish with sugar to taste. Some families add a splash of condensed milk in place of some of the sugar for a rounder finish. Serve in small heat-proof glasses, not mugs, and drink it while watching the winter fog roll in off the Corniche. It pairs beautifully with regag bread, luqaimat, or a plate of biscuits. Regional variations are worth exploring once you have the basic method down. Some households in Abu Dhabi favour a lighter cardamom hand and a stronger ginger note, while cafeterias in Sharjah and Ajman are known for a richer, sweeter pour built on more evaporated milk. Fujairah versions often include a small pinch of saffron alongside the cardamom, which turns the tea a warm golden colour. Try a few styles over a couple of winter weekends and you will quickly land on a version that becomes your own household standard.

Sahlab: The Warm Winter Dessert in a Cup

Sahlab is a thick, milky drink traditionally made from the powdered root of wild orchids, though most home cooks in the UAE now use a starch-based sahlab mix widely stocked in Lulu, Union Coop, and Carrefour. It sits somewhere between a drink and a dessert, and it is the closest thing the region has to a hot chocolate replacement on a January evening.

Whisk sahlab powder into cold full-fat milk, then bring the mixture to a slow simmer while stirring constantly. Once it thickens to a pourable custard consistency, ladle it into small bowls or wide-mouth cups. Top with crushed pistachios, desiccated coconut, ground cinnamon, and a scattering of raisins. In older Emirati households, a spoon of rose water or orange blossom water goes in just before serving. It is a favourite for family evenings and for hosting neighbours during Ramadan when it falls in the cooler months.

Jallab: A Refreshing Cold-Weather Classic

Jallab is a Levantine drink that has become part of the broader UAE hospitality repertoire, particularly during Ramadan iftars and winter gatherings. It is built on a syrup of date molasses, grape molasses, and rose water, smoked lightly with Arabic gum crystals for that signature deep aroma.

For a home version, mix a few tablespoons of ready-made jallab syrup, available at any UAE supermarket in the Middle Eastern aisle, with cold water and ice. Top with pine nuts, golden raisins, and a splash of rose water. Even in winter, jallab works because it is served cold but tastes warming, and it balances beautifully against heavier winter meals like harees or machboos. It is also naturally caffeine-free, which makes it a good option for children and evening guests who want to avoid tea.

Khameer with Yansoon: The Underrated Anise Tea

Yansoon, or anise seed tea, is one of the quieter Emirati winter beverages, often served after heavy dinners to help digestion. It has a soft, licorice-forward flavour and pairs traditionally with khameer, the small brown bread flavoured with dates and date syrup. Simply steep a tablespoon of anise seeds in hot water for five to seven minutes, strain, and sweeten lightly with honey. Add a small squeeze of lemon if you prefer a sharper finish. Grandmothers across the UAE still serve this to soothe winter coughs and settle stomachs after a rich meal.

Hibiscus and Loomi Infusion

Loomi, the sun-dried black lime that gives so many Emirati dishes their distinctive tang, also makes an excellent winter tea when paired with dried hibiscus flowers. This combination is not a strict traditional recipe, but it is a common Emirati household infusion that has grown in popularity as UAE residents look for warming, low-caffeine drinks. Crack one dried loomi lightly, add it to a pot with a small handful of dried hibiscus, and simmer for ten minutes. Sweeten with honey or a spoon of date syrup. The result is deep ruby in colour, tart, and packed with vitamin C, which suits the mild UAE winter cold season.

Hosting a Winter Majlis at Home

Recreating these drinks is only half the tradition. The other half is the setting. The hatheera, or winter majlis, historically brought families together on cool desert evenings around a small fire, with gahwa, dates, and conversation as the anchors. In modern UAE homes, you can honour that spirit with a low seating arrangement, floor cushions, a warm rug, and a simple brass tray holding a dallah, finjan cups, and a bowl of dates. For inspiration on setting up a comfortable hosting corner in a rental flat, this guide to renter-friendly decor ideas for UAE apartments covers exactly the kind of textiles, cushions, and lighting choices that suit a majlis-style setup.

Sourcing Your Ingredients

Union Coop, Lulu, Carrefour, and Waitrose stock the everyday essentials: cardamom, saffron, evaporated milk, sahlab powder, jallab syrup, loomi, and dried hibiscus. For higher-grade saffron, freshly roasted gahwa blends, and speciality dates, the Deira Spice Souk in Dubai and the traditional souks in Sharjah and Al Ain remain the most rewarding destinations. Bin Ajwad, Al Rifai, and Patchi carry premium date selections that pair well with gahwa service. For the dallah itself, home stores in Mirdif, Al Wahda Mall, and Dalma Mall consistently stock both modern electric versions and traditional brass sets. Exploring the cultural and dining spaces around Souk Al Bahar in Downtown Dubai is another way to see how these hospitality traditions translate into the modern hospitality scene across the emirates.

Beyond the recipes, these winter drinks are an entry point into the wider hospitality culture that shapes daily life across the country. For more on food, hosting, and Emirati culture more broadly, the lifestyle section on toplatest.ae covers adjacent topics on cuisine, home, and living in the UAE.

Bringing It All Together

Learning to make gahwa, karak, sahlab, jallab, yansoon, and a good loomi hibiscus infusion at home is one of the most rewarding ways to settle deeper into UAE winter life. Each drink carries a piece of the country’s hospitality history, from the UNESCO-listed rituals of Arabic coffee to the everyday warmth of a shared glass of karak on a cool evening. Start with one or two recipes this week, source the ingredients on your next supermarket run, and build outwards from there. By the time the temperatures begin to climb again in March, you will have a set of drinks and a small ritual of your own that turns any winter evening into something worth gathering around.

Sources

1. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Section
2. Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
3. Dubai Culture and Arts Authority
4. National Center of Meteorology, UAE
5. Emirates Culinary Guild