They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and, for many Muslims around the world, the breakfast that breaks the fast known as Ramadan is certainly the ultimate in all senses of the word.

Eid al-Fitr is the holiday of breaking the fast, which follows the month-long period where Muslims abstain from food and water between dawn and dusk. Celebrated with a feast where a great variety of food is on offer, but particularly sweets, the holiday is also known as the Sugar Feast. And right alongside these grand helpings of food is often many, many cups of tea.

In Morocco, its iconic mint tea atay – a mix of green tea, fresh mint and sugar – pairs with foods like baghrir, pancakes soaked in butter and honey, while in Afghanistan it’s the milky black cardamom tea, sheer chai, that’s sipped with flatbreads, cake and pistachio-topped pastries. Meanwhile in Turkey, hot sweet tea accompanies fresh bread and homemade yoghurt.

Many cultures also open their homes to friends, family and neighbours, and tea and snacks are a key part of this hospitality, whether that’s dates and fruits for those in the Arab States, or tea with baursaki (fried doughnuts) in Kazakhstan.

For those who celebrate, “Eid Mubarak” to you – for everyone else, breakfast tea is always a good way to start the day anyway.

This article originally appeared in AUSTCS enews 9 April 2024.