Mint from the highlands of Taif — Saudi Arabia’s most fragrant garden city — simmered slowly until every note of its cool, complex aroma fills the cup. Not a quick steep, not generic mint: a Saudi regional heritage drink, naturally caffeine-free, and one of the most calming cups you can order. Fresh at Tea Oasis Al Khobar.
Taif sits at 1,800 metres above sea level in the mountains of the Hejaz region, about 75 kilometres east of Mecca. It has been Saudi Arabia’s summer city for generations — the place the royal family retreats to when the lowland heat becomes extreme, where wealthy Jeddawi families have kept summer homes for centuries, and where the air carries the distinct fragrance of its most famous exports: roses and herbs.
The rose water distilled from Taif’s roses is used in the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. The mint grown in Taif’s highland gardens — at altitude, in a cool mountain climate with abundant water — develops a more concentrated, more complex aroma than mint grown at sea level. When you order Nana Taifi, you’re ordering something that carries the identity of one of Saudi Arabia’s most celebrated and culturally significant cities.
All mint contains menthol — the compound responsible for the characteristic cooling sensation and fragrance. But not all mint contains the same concentration, and not all mint develops the same aromatic complexity.
Taif’s elevation and climate produce spearmint plants with unusually high essential oil content — more aromatic, more intensely menthol-forward, and with a slightly sweeter character than the mass-produced mint used in most café preparations. The difference is noticeable: Taifi mint brewed correctly fills the cup with a fragrance that is immediately identifiable, clean, and genuinely calming.
This is why Nana Taifi is listed separately on Saudi café menus from ‘regular’ mint tea — and why customers who have tried both don’t go back to the generic version.
The most common mistake in preparing mint tea is treating it like black tea — a brief steep, two to three minutes, done. Mint prepared this way yields a pleasant but shallow drink: some colour, some fragrance, but none of the full depth the leaf can produce.
Taifi mint tea, prepared correctly, is simmered gently over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes — not boiled aggressively, but brought to a low, patient simmer that allows the essential oils to fully release into the water. The result is a cup that is noticeably deeper in aroma, fuller in body, and more genuinely calming than a quick-steeped version of the same ingredient.
At Tea Oasis, we brew it properly. The extra time is the drink.
Saudi Arabia’s tea culture is not uniform. The Gulf coast — including Al Khobar — is karak country: strong, spiced, milky, the drink of the Eastern Province’s daily rhythm. But western Saudi Arabia has its own tea identity, rooted in the Hejazi tradition: lighter, herb-forward, more delicate, and strongly associated with the fragrant mountain city of Taif.
Serving Nana Taifi in Al Khobar is a small act of bringing one of Saudi Arabia’s two great tea traditions to a city that primarily knows the other one. For anyone who has spent time in Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, or Taif itself, a cup of Nana Taifi carries the taste of home. For anyone who hasn’t, it’s a first encounter with a genuinely different expression of Saudi hospitality culture.
Spearmint carries genuine wellness properties through its menthol content and its antioxidant compounds — particularly rosmarinic acid, which has documented anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Research has linked spearmint consumption to digestive support, reduced bloating and IBS-related discomfort, and mild anti-nausea effects.
Order at Tea Oasis Al Khobar or via WhatsApp — plain, or with a touch of honey to round the mint’s freshness.
Nana Taifi is mint tea made specifically with mint from Taif — a mountain city in western Saudi Arabia at 1,800 metres altitude, famous for its roses, fragrant herbs, and the Kingdom’s most aromatic mint varieties. ‘Nana’ (نعناع) is Arabic for mint; ‘Taifi’ means it comes from Taif. The highland climate produces mint with higher essential oil content than lowland varieties, making it noticeably more fragrant and complex.
Taif’s altitude (around 1,800m), cool mountain climate, and abundant water produce spearmint plants with unusually concentrated essential oils. The result is a more fragrant, more intensely menthol-forward mint with a slightly sweeter character than mass-produced varieties. When brewed slowly, Taifi mint fills the cup with an aroma that is immediately distinct — most people who try both notice the difference in the first sip.
A brief 2–3 minute steep extracts only surface fragrance and a shallow flavour. Nana Taifi prepared correctly is simmered gently for 10–15 minutes over medium heat — not aggressively boiled, but patiently simmered — which allows the mint’s essential oils to fully release into the water. The result is deeper in aroma, fuller in body, and more genuinely calming than a quick-steeped version.
In the pure mint preparation (mint simmered in water), it is completely caffeine-free — making it suitable for evenings, for those avoiding caffeine, or as an after-meal drink without any stimulant effect. If prepared as black tea with mint added, it will contain caffeine from the black tea base. At Tea Oasis, ask for your preference when ordering.
Yes — spearmint has well-documented digestive properties. Menthol compounds relax the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, easing bloating and supporting food movement through the digestive system. Research has linked spearmint tea specifically to reduced IBS symptoms and general digestive discomfort. This is why mint tea has been drunk after meals across the Middle East for centuries — it works.
Nana Taifi is part of the Hejazi tea tradition — the western Saudi Arabia approach to tea, which is lighter, more herb-forward, and more fragrant than the Eastern Province’s karak culture. Saudi tea culture varies by region: the Gulf coast drinks karak; western Saudi Arabia drinks mint and herb teas. Taif specifically is associated with fragrant drinks because the city itself is Saudi Arabia’s most celebrated source of aromatic plants, including the roses used in the Prophet’s Mosque.
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