Beverages

This section is limited to fruit juices (sharbat), yogurt drink (shinina), tea and coffee; Iraqi beer, wine and alcoholic Arak are not included.

Iraqis drink tea all day. They use loose tea leaves imported from India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and China. Coffee is drunk only once a day, in the afternoon when visitors come. The coffee beans are imported from Yemen, Ethiopia, India, Colombia and Brazil, and are bought from shops that specialize in selling and grinding coffee to order. Sometimes we ask the shop to grind cardamom seeds with the coffee to make the distinctive sweet Arabic coffee.

Shinina, a yogurt drink, is always served with lunch or dinner. It is a combination of yogurt, water and ice cubes, with a pinch of salt. It is a very refreshing drink during the summer, and is sold by street vendors.

Iraq produces carbonated sodas, and imported juices and drinks are available in the markets.