When you think of Afghanistan you do not really pictures a culinary wonderland, or indeed somewhere that you might drink. And these two statements are very much true, BUT the food and drink scene in Afghanistan is not just interesting, but one shaped by its surroundings.
And this is extremely profound when it comes to Afghan drinks, with chai of course being the most famous iteration. But there is much more to the drinks in Afghanistan scene than tea, even if the drinking in Afghanistan scene is a bit lacking.
Table of Contents
Chai – Tea That Runs Everything
Chai dominates every street, every house, every gathering. Thick, strong, often spiced with cardamom, sugar, sometimes milk, sometimes just straight black. You do not sip politely. You gulp. Men argue over prices, children beg for sugar cubes, and somewhere in the corner a man bangs on a samovar trying to make it boil faster. Chai is life. You drink it in every bazaar, in every desert town, on the street in Jalalabad, in the hills outside Mazar-i-Sharif. Green tea in the north, black in the south, cardamom in the middle, and always sugar to the point where your teeth stick together. Afghan drinks are rarely subtle, and chai is the king.
Doogh – Yogurt That Hits Like a Wall
Doogh is a revelation if you are not expecting it. Yogurt, water, salt, sometimes dried mint, sometimes dill. Cold, tangy, thick, herbal, and salty enough to make your tongue tingle. You drink it with rice, kebabs, mantu, or just because the heat is unbearable. In Herat or Mazar-i-Sharif, mint dominates; in rural areas, dill sneaks in. Every sip screams local ingenuity: how do you survive forty-degree heat and heavy meals? Drink doogh. Afghan drinks like this exist for a reason.
Sherbet – Sweet, Sticky, Addictive
Sherbet is not frozen dessert. Sherbet is syrup, fruit, sugar, and tradition poured into water. Pomegranate, mulberry, rose, lemon—pick your poison. Afghan drinks do not mess around. You sip, and the sweetness hits immediately, sticky, cloying, intensely flavoured, usually offered at weddings, Eid, or random afternoons because someone feels like it. Sherbet is Afghanistan in a glass: centuries of fruit cultivation, sugar trade, and ingenuity, and it is just as essential to the country as its mountains.
Qahwa – Coffee for Survivors
Coffee exists, yes, but do not expect your Starbucks latte. Afghan qahwa is dark, spiced with cardamom, bitter, and unapologetic. Served in tiny cups, sometimes with nuts or dried fruit on the side, it is meant to wake you up fast and keep you alert while haggling or walking miles through dusty bazaars. Afghan drinks like qahwa are pragmatic: no frills, no froth, just caffeine, spice, and tradition.
Black Carrot Juice – Unexpected and Brilliant
Black carrots are a thing, and black carrot juice is their street-level miracle. Dark, earthy, slightly sweet, sometimes blended with lime or sugar, always refreshing, often cheap. You see it in markets, you grab a cup, and you realise Afghan drinks make use of what is around, creatively, honestly, and often with an intensity outsiders do not expect. One sip and you are hooked.
Fruit Lassi – Yogurt and Fruit, Afghan Style
Lassi is not just India or Pakistan; Afghanistan makes it its own. Yogurt, water, sugar, and fresh fruits like melon, apricot, or pomegranate. Thick, cold, sweet, tangy, occasionally chunky, always refreshing. You get it in bazaars across the country, churned out by vendors sweating more than you are. Afghan drinks like this show the genius of simplicity: yogurt keeps you cool, fruit keeps you sane, sugar keeps you alive in the heat.
Herbal Doogh – Mint, Dill, Coriander
Some Afghans take doogh further. Mint, dill, coriander, sometimes all three. Tangy, salty, herbal, medicinal, brutal in the mouth, perfect after a heavy meal. Rural areas swear by it, urban areas enjoy it as a flavour adventure. Afghan drinks are rarely polite; they either heal, shock, or satisfy. This version does all three.
So, while Afghanistan is not exactly likely to become the next Ibiza, you will at least not go thirsty when you visit the country.
And visit the country you can with our Afghanistan Tours.
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