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Nourhane Tarroun

Routes of Karak

Takeaway Cups Collected from Tea Shops Across Qatar

Karak tea is widely consumed across Qatar and is typically served in small takeaway cups from neighborhood cafeterias and roadside tea shops. The drink moves through everyday routines, appearing during commutes, work breaks, and late-night gatherings across the city. The drink is made from ingredients — including tea, sugar, and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon — that reached the Gulf through Indian Ocean trade routes. These materials, along with chai-making practices brought by South Asian migrants in the twentieth century, were adapted to local conditions and tastes. Through this process, karak became embedded in daily life while retaining traces of its transregional origins. Through its ingredients and circulation, karak reflects connections that extend beyond the Gulf. The drink carries histories of movement that continue to structure everyday life. Karak shows that what is understood as local is shaped by ongoing transnational exchange.

Nourhane Tarroun

Art History 2026

Karak tea is widely consumed across Qatar and is typically served in small takeaway cups from neighborhood cafeterias and roadside tea shops. The drink moves through everyday routines, appearing during commutes, work breaks, and late-night gatherings across the city. The drink is made from ingredients — including tea, sugar, and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon — that reached the Gulf through Indian Ocean trade routes. These materials, along with chai-making practices brought by South Asian migrants in the twentieth century, were adapted to local conditions and tastes. Through this process, karak became embedded in daily life while retaining traces of its transregional origins. Through its ingredients and circulation, karak reflects connections that extend beyond the Gulf. The drink carries histories of movement that continue to structure everyday life. Karak shows that what is understood as local is shaped by ongoing transnational exchange.

Tags

Cultural
Identity

Routes of Karak

Takeaway Cups Collected from Tea Shops Across Qatar

Nourhane Tarroun

Art History 2026

Tags

Cultural
Identity

Karak tea is widely consumed across Qatar and is typically served in small takeaway cups from neighborhood cafeterias and roadside tea shops. The drink moves through everyday routines, appearing during commutes, work breaks, and late-night gatherings across the city. The drink is made from ingredients — including tea, sugar, and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon — that reached the Gulf through Indian Ocean trade routes. These materials, along with chai-making practices brought by South Asian migrants in the twentieth century, were adapted to local conditions and tastes. Through this process, karak became embedded in daily life while retaining traces of its transregional origins. Through its ingredients and circulation, karak reflects connections that extend beyond the Gulf. The drink carries histories of movement that continue to structure everyday life. Karak shows that what is understood as local is shaped by ongoing transnational exchange.

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