Shy

Do you ever feel stuffed after you eat dinner? Growing up, everyone in the household had to eat dinner at the same time. Sometimes a person gets carried away with the mouth watering food a mother is capable of making. It is traditional in Lebanon to drink tea after dinner. After waiting for the water to boil in a weird shaped metal on the oven, a person gets the bits of fresh Lebanese tea and slightly lays it in the boiling water. Pouring it in little, tiny glass cups with a little bit of sugar, stirring it with a tiny spoon, taking small sips; I have to admit, it does taste good. However, that is not the reason Lebanese people drink it. It is said that tea helps a person digest food faster, making it easier for a person to breathe and not feel stuffed. I personally do not like drinking any hot drink, but I do make an exception just for tea.
After eating dinner, all family members gather up, drink tea, and watch television. It relaxes a person without really thinking about it. In Arabic, this type of tea is called Shy. Seems like any Lebanese family household in the U.S has Shi shipped out from Lebanon just to have their little gatherings and ease their stomachs. Not only do Arabs drink tea after dinner, but they also drink it in the morning. It fits in just fine with pita bread and a type of cheese or yogurt called Labni. The tiny cup they use symbolizes that it came from Lebanon. For some odd reason, it is nearly impossible to find any Arab drinking it from a regular cup. They believe that the stomach only needs a small portion. My mother always tried to convince me that it is better than drinking soda. Some people think otherwise, but it is the tradition that makes generation after generation drink tea after a meal. Tea is also famous in Asia. I know of a few Asian families where all they would drink throught their day was Tea. Although they drink it differently, it is an tradition behind the drinking of tea and how it is good for an individual.