Although Qatar has no official national drink, karak chai is probably pretty close.

The strong milk tea likely originates from the Indian subcontinent, but in Doha, the drink is a cross-cultural hit. 

Some claim Naimi Cafe on Nasr Street is the source of Qatar’s karak (I don’t believe them). Queues of cars line up at the Sheraton Park most evenings, waiting for servers to bring them their precious cups of steaming brown liquid. 

So sought after is the drink, it’s even got a dedicated restaurant at Katara: Chapati and Karak. And there’s a Facebook fan page with 10,000+ Likes!

But how many of you have actually ventured to recreate this warm, sugary delight at home? At least one Missouri-native has been inspired to try, and was kind enough to blog a how-to guide. 

I’ll leave you to read the full post and peruse the photos, but here’s the abridged highlights:

1. Boil water
2. Place 1 teabag in a mug with 3 cubes of sugar
3. Pour boiling water into mug and let stand (this is important…)
4. Once the water is dark … remove the tea bag
5. Dispose of the tea bag (I know talk about an elementary breakdown)
6. Add the milk until it’s a caramely color

What do you think — easy enough right? How do you make it? Any tips to share?

How-to link via dejoejohn on Tumblr; Top photo by Caitlin Sewell, middle photo by Fatma bin Saifan on Flickr