Tea Ceremonies Around the World: Part VI Sudanese culture
Read in French: HERE
HAFLAT SHAI
My Life and Tea is exploring the different ceremonies that take place around the world and how these ceremonies transform ordinary moments into beautiful moments of pause and human connection. We continue our journey to Sudan with the Haflat Shai ceremony.
A CEREMONY OF HOSPITALITY, COMMUNITY, and BONDING.
For the Sudanese, Haflat Shai is an integral daily custom and moment for hospitality, community and bonding. There is no rushing. This is an intentional moment to sit down and converse, share knowledge, discuss current events, or bond with family, friends or other members of the community.
Haflat Shai is the term used to refer to tea gatherings and ceremonies. Haflat Shai is part of daily life where it is a moment to connect with those close to you at home, school or work; and it is also for special occasions such as weddings, funerals, important business meetings, etc.
Haflat Shai can take place as the first thing in the morning to break fast, and/or after lunch and/or after dinner. And, it is common practice to offer tea to visitors (guests, friends, family) that stop by. And, much like people gather or coordinate to have lunch or dinner together, in Sudanese culture, people come together for Haflat Shai, tea with biscuits or snacks.
Generally, tea is made with black tea or green tea or hibiscus tea (also referred to as karkaday) and infused with herbs and spices and served in a glass. Tea may or may not include milk or caramelized milk. Often the morning tea may be served with milk. The infused herbs and spices may include mint leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and/or cinnamon sticks, and ginger which will depend on which tea is used and whether milk is incorporated or not. Tea is sweetened with sugar and/or a syrup or honey.
“Many Sudanese will start the morning with a cup of milky tea accompanied by a plate of zalabia (a sugary, dough-based snack), followed by regular cups of plain sugary red tea throughout the working day, before taking a glass or two of mint, cinnamon or cardamom-based tea in the evening.” Godolphin.
Small tea shops and stands are common when you are out and about in town or the market. Many of these boutique shops and stands are run by women known as “sit al shai” or “sitaat al shai” or “sitashai” = tea ladies. These shops and stands show how ingrained tea is into Sudanese culture. People will stop for a cup of tea and to socialize with each other and/or the vendors too.
INGREDIENTS
“Tea can be made in several different ways, all rooted in the same initial process: the brewing of tea leaves or black tea powder. Depending on the occasion, it can be made with or without milk.” See Bengawi.
The most well-known types of blends are:
Plain: strong black tea with sugar/sweetener based on taste/preference
Shai Laban: black tea and add milk, spices like cinnamon and cardamom, and sugar /sweetener based on taste/preference
Shai Magnan: black tea with caramelized milk, sugar and spices (e.g., cardamom and cinnamon)
Shai bil Na’na: green tea and mint leaves and sugar/sweetener based on taste/preference and may include ginger based on preference
Karkaday: hibiscus tea with sugar/sweetener based on taste/preference
Traditionally, the tea would be prepared and served in a Jabanah/Jebena, which is a clay pot with a specific design: a round base, a narrow neck, a handle, a relatively short spout, and a hand-carved cone shape wooden lid/top. This top would be decorated in beautiful colors. True to the nature of Haflat Shai, the use of a Jabanah requires taking your time and being intentional. Rushing cannot coexist with Haflat Shai or Jabanah.
WHAT IS LOVING ABOUT THIS:
“Tea in Sudan is more than a beverage. It is a social connector, a reflector of hospitality, and a culture all on its own.” See Bengawi.
We love that Haflat Shai is a daily custom of connection and appreciation for life and community; and a time of reflection.
Perhaps this is a ceremony you can incorporate into your week with your loved ones or colleagues. Have you participated in Haflat Shai before? What did/does the experience mean to you? Comment below.
Sources:
Abdullahi Shuaibu. 2013 August 1. The Culture of Tea. Voices of Darfur Magazine. July 2013. Also featured on the United Nation’s Social Life platform: https://unamid.unmissions.org/en/news/social-life-0.
Samar Bengawi. 2025 January 12. Sudan’s Tea Culture, A Timeless Ritual. The Sudanist. https://thesudanist.com/sudans-tea-culture-a-timeless-ritual/.
Yewande Komolafe. 2025 October 10. The Spiced Tea That Starts the Day in Sudan. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/dining/sudanese-tea.html.
Samuel Godolphin. 2014 October 16. Tea with sugar and politics in Sudan. openDemocracy. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/tea-with-sugar-and-politics-in-sudan/.