Local Drinks

1. چای

   Chāy

   Tea

   Usage

   The everyday drink of Iran. Strong hot tea is served in a small glass called an استکان, with a saucer (نعلبکی). Sugar is not stirred in — a sugar cube (قند) or rock candy (نبات) comes on the side.

   Grammar Note

   Colloquially it is چایی (chāyi), sometimes spelled that way. The existing phrases in fa/the Café & Drinks category transcribe that colloquial form.

2. قهوه ترک

   Qahve-ye tork

   Turkish coffee

   Usage

   Roasted beans ground to a powder and boiled with the water in a small pot called a جذوه, then poured grounds and all into a small cup. The grounds settle, so leave the last mouthful.

   Grammar Note

   ترک means "Turkish." The name refers to the brewing method's popularity in Turkey, not to beans grown there. Since قهوه ends in ه, the ezāfe is -ye (qahve-ye tork).

3. دم‌نوش

   Damnush

   Herbal infusion

   Usage

   The general word for a drink made by steeping flowers, leaves, stems, roots, seeds or peel in hot water for a few minutes under a lid. Cafés and supermarkets group the varieties under the heading دم‌نوش.

4. عرقیات

   Araqiyāt

   Herbal distillates

   Usage

   The collective word for waters distilled from plants to carry their aroma. More than forty plants are distilled this way in Iran. They are drunk diluted with water and also used in cooking and sweets.

   Grammar Note

   ⚠ On its own عرق (araq) means "sweat" or "a distillate," and in some contexts a distilled spirit. The عرق نعنا (mint), عرق بیدمشک and similar products on shop shelves and menus are plant distillates, not alcoholic drinks. عرقیات is the Arabic-style plural (-یات).

5. ماءالشعیر

   Mā'osh-sha'ir

   Non-alcoholic malt beverage

   Usage

   A fizzy non-alcoholic drink made from barley malt, usually sweetened and flavoured with lemon, peach or apple. It is stocked everywhere — eateries, kiosks, supermarkets — with this word printed large on the can.

   Grammar Note

   A loan from Arabic ماء الشعیر ("barley water"), written as one word. It is water in which barley has been boiled.

6. شربت

   Sharbat

   Sharbat (sweet cordial served cold)

   Usage

   The general word for a sweet cold drink of syrup, fruit juice or herbs mixed with water. Common kinds are آلبالو (sour cherry), خاکشیر, سکنجبین and گلاب (rosewater); menus list them as شربت plus the ingredient.

   Grammar Note

   شربت means both the drink and a medicinal syrup. In a pharmacy, شربت means liquid medicine.

7. سکنجبین

   Sekanjabin

   Sekanjabin (vinegar-and-honey cordial)

   Usage

   One of the oldest Iranian drinks: a syrup boiled from vinegar and honey — today usually sugar — diluted with water and served cold in summer.

   Grammar Note

   سکنجبین is an Arabised form of سکنگبین. The parts are سرکه (vinegar) and انگبین (honey).

8. شربت خاکشیر

   Sharbat-e khākshir

   Khakshir drink (cold flixweed-seed cordial)

   Usage

   A summer drink of the tiny seeds of the خاکشیر plant soaked in water with sugar, rosewater (گلاب) and ice; honey sometimes replaces the sugar and lemon juice is often added. The suspended seeds are its signature.

   Grammar Note

   Both شربت خاکشی and خاکشیر are used. Shop labels usually print خاکشیر.

9. آب هویج

   Āb-e havij

   Carrot juice

   Usage

   A juice-bar staple. Carrots are fibrous and hard to press, so shops extract the juice to order with a dedicated machine. It is high in beta-carotene and tastes concentrated.

   Grammar Note

   The parts are joined with a ZWNJ (آب‌هویج); signs and menus often write them separated, آب هویج. آب plus a fruit name gives "juice of ~" (آب پرتقال = orange juice).

10. آب انار

    Āb-e anār

    Pomegranate juice

    Usage

    Juice of the pomegranate (انار), sold both freshly pressed and bottled. Iran is a major pomegranate producer; the concentrated molasses from the same fruit, رب انار, is the base of فسنجان.

11. آب‌میوه

    Āb-mive

    Fruit juice

    Usage

    The general word for juice pressed from fruit or vegetables, used as a menu heading and on cartons. Freshly pressed juice is labelled آب‌میوه تازه.

    Grammar Note

    آب and میوه are joined by a ZWNJ (U+200C). The ZWNJ only creates a visual gap — the result is a single word.

12. آب معدنی

    Āb-e madani

    Mineral water

    Usage

    Bottled water — the words printed on the label. The cheapest and most reliably available drink at kiosks and eateries.

13. شیرموز

    Shir mowz

    Banana milk

    Usage

    A cold drink of milk blended with banana, a juice-bar standard. Pistachio, almond, walnut or ice cream can be blended in.

    Grammar Note

    It is written as the single word شیرموز, and also as شیر موز. The same pattern gives شیرکاکائو (chocolate milk).

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