National Dish Egypt: Anise Tea (Recipe)
In this article
Yansoon — Egyptian anise tea — is what appears when the evenings turn cool, when the fast is broken during Ramadan, or simply when a conversation is going to run long. Whole aniseed steeped in hot water produces a mild, faintly liquorice-sweet infusion that warms and settles the stomach. It costs almost nothing and is woven deep into everyday Egyptian life.
About Anise Tea
Anise tea (Arabic yansoon) is one of Egypt’s most popular hot drinks. It is made by steeping or briefly simmering whole aniseed in water, which releases a mildly sweet, gently liquorice-like aroma. In Egypt it is regarded as a warming, digestion-friendly drink, served especially in the cooler months and during Ramadan to break the fast — often alongside dates.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 500 ml water
- 2 teaspoons whole aniseed
- 1–2 teaspoons sugar or honey, to taste
- Optional: a splash of milk
- Optional: 1 cinnamon stick
Shopping for the ingredients
Authentic anise tea needs whole aniseed rather than ground — you will find it on spice shelves, in health food shops and in Middle Eastern grocers, and it should smell strongly of anise when you open the packet. Take care not to confuse aniseed with star anise, which is a different plant with a more assertive flavour. Sugar or honey and an optional cinnamon stick complete the list.
Preparing the dish
There is very little to prepare. Measure out the aniseed, and if you like a stronger infusion, crush the seeds lightly in a mortar to open them up. Set out a small pan rather than a kettle, since the tea is traditionally simmered rather than merely steeped, and warm the glasses if you are serving guests.
Step-by-step instructions
- Bring the water to the boil in a small pan.
- Add the aniseed (and the cinnamon stick, if using).
- Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5–7 minutes.
- Take off the heat, cover, and let it stand for a further 3 minutes.
- Strain into glasses.
- Sweeten with sugar or honey to taste, and add a splash of milk if you like.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Anise tea is naturally gluten-free, and it is lactose-free too as long as you leave out the optional milk — or use a plant-based milk, which suits it very well. Oat milk in particular complements the sweet, liquorice-like note without overwhelming it.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
The drink is vegan when sweetened with sugar rather than honey. It is a natural companion to a plate of dates and nuts, the traditional way to break a fast, and works equally well after a heavy meal — anise has long been valued precisely because it settles the stomach.
More tips and tricks
Do not boil the seeds hard for too long, or the delicate aroma turns bitter; a gentle simmer followed by a covered rest gives the best flavour. Crushing the seeds lightly before brewing releases noticeably more aroma. And make more than you think you need — it reheats perfectly and is just as good the next morning.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Egyptian households vary the drink freely: a cinnamon stick, a few cardamom pods, a slice of fresh ginger or a strip of orange peel all suit it. A spoonful of honey instead of sugar rounds the flavour and is the traditional choice when the tea is being drunk for a sore throat. Some add a splash of milk for a creamier, almost dessert-like version.
Ingredient substitutions
Fennel seeds make the closest substitute if you have no aniseed, with a very similar sweet profile. Star anise can be used in a pinch — but use only one small piece, as it is considerably stronger. Honey, date syrup and sugar are interchangeable as sweeteners here.
Drink pairing ideas
Anise tea is the drink, but it has traditional companions: dates, dried figs and simple semolina sweets such as basbousa are what Egyptians serve alongside. During Ramadan it typically follows the first dates and water of iftar, before the main meal begins.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve yansoon hot in clear glasses so the pale golden colour shows, with the cinnamon stick left in as a stirrer. A small dish of sugar on the side lets everyone sweeten their own. In Egyptian cafés it arrives on a metal tray with a glass of cold water beside it — a detail worth copying.
A bit of history
Anise has been cultivated in Egypt since pharaonic times and appears in ancient medical papyri as a remedy for digestive complaints — a use that has never really gone away. The drink remains inseparable from Ramadan evenings and from the ahwa, the traditional coffee house, where it is ordered as often as tea or coffee. It is a genuine window onto Egyptian cuisine and its everyday rituals.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Anise Tea
Yansoon is Egypt in a glass: whole aniseed simmered in water, sweetened to taste, and drunk hot on cool evenings or at the breaking of a fast. It takes ten minutes, costs almost nothing and settles both stomach and mood. Keep a bag of aniseed in the cupboard and you are never far from it.
