Tea Shops in Lebanon: Loose-Leaf, Herbal, and House Blends
AdvisorLB Team
Tea drinking in Lebanon is split between the everyday — sweet black tea or maramieh (sage) — and a small but growing specialty scene that sells single-origin Darjeeling, Ceylon, and Chinese teas alongside Lebanese herbal blends.
Categories you will find
- Black tea: Ceylon, Assam, Darjeeling, English Breakfast.
- Green tea: sencha, gunpowder, jasmine pearls.
- Herbal: mountain sage, zhourat (mixed flowers), chamomile, anise, fennel.
- House blends: orange-cinnamon, rose-cardamom, ginger-lemon.
How to taste
- Steep at the right temperature — 95 °C for black, 75 °C for green.
- Time matters — 3 minutes for black, 1–2 for green.
- Smell the dry leaves, then the wet — the wet aroma is more honest.
- Drink without sugar the first time to judge the leaf.
Buying tips
- Buy in 50–100 g batches and store in airtight tins.
- Ask for the harvest year on premium teas.
- Lebanese mountain herbs (sage, thyme, zhourat) keep 12 months in dark glass.
- Many shops let you smell before buying — use the privilege.