Moroccan Tea with Mint: Tradition & Recipe

Moroccan tea with mint

Jokingly called the Berber whisky from the locals, the Moroccan tea, made with green tea and fresh mint, undoubtedly beats the passage of time of Moroccan life.

Every single day is in fact marked by the ritual of its preparation, which takes place at least 3 times from dawn to dusk, with or without food.

Mint tea: not a simple tea

This combination of green tea and fresh mint, accompanied by a huge amount of sugar, is in fact filtered deeply into the local culture and tradition, to the point of becoming the symbol of the welcome of this country. Offering a cup of tea is in fact a gesture of friendship, which goes beyond the border of drinking for thirst becoming rather drinking for a lifestyle. Being invited by someone to drink a cup of tea then takes on a deeper meaning than the gesture itself. Notoriously the etiquette of all Islamic countries, provides a deep-rooted propensity to honor the host. In Morocco, however, the standard of hospitality has been raised to an exceptional level. And it is for this reason that it is not uncommon to receive an invitation to tea from an unknown merchant during a particularly attractive price negotiation. It would be so disrespectful to refuse.

In addition, the preparation of Moroccan mint tea takes place with a ceremonial complex, which often takes place behind the scenes, but it would be a spectacle not to be missed. Normally you only see the last part, that of serving tea, which has really become an art. Our guest, in fact, will have in one hand the tray, with small glass glasses. In the other, which will lead to a height that depends on his skill, the teapot full of its precious content. And so, from the top, he will incline the teapot, creating an arch, he will begin to pour the tea and into the glasses creating a bubbling effect.

Below, I’ll explain what’s going on behind the scenes.

Ingredients: green “gunpowder” and mint

This type of green tea is the best for making Moroccan tea. The definition gunpowder (Gunpowder) comes from the fact that each leaf is rolled into a small round ball, resembling gunpowder. The more compact the grain, the better the quality. The shine indicates freshness, and is therefore a desirable feature.

The other key ingredient is a generous amount of fresh mint leaves. Also keep in mind that, while the typical Moroccan tea is the one with fresh mint. There are many versions available with other herbs, added to fresh mint or even in its place. These include sage, absinthe, vervain, wild thyme and wild geranium.

Finally, sugar. In Morocco they use tons of sugar, so it is advisable to replace it with honey or reduce the quantity. Consider that they use at least 3 lumps of sugar, equivalent to about 7 teaspoons, and that for most of them, the tea will not yet be sufficiently sweet!

Preparation

Fill the teapot with half a cup of water and bring to the boil. At this point, add green tea (about 2 teaspoons per liter of water). Leave to rest for a minute and then pour into a teacup, making sure not to swirl the water around the pot before pouring or it will get dirty.

Keep aside this tea that contains the full flavor obtained from the first contact of the water with the leaves. It will return in the teapot later.

Repeat the same procedure, pour half a cup of boiled water into the same teapot, let it rest 1 minute and this time shake the teapot a couple of times to rinse the tea leaves. Pour the water and discard it, being careful not to throw the tea.

Now add in the teapot, the first cup of tea you’ve set aside before, fresh mint, sugar and fill the teapot with the desired amount of boiled water and leave it gently over medium-low heat until it boils. It is important to allow our beverage to boil slowly to allow tea and fresh mint to macerate properly.

When it comes to the boil, open the teapot and with a spoon, stir the tea to make sure the sugar is well dissolved.

According to tradition, the tea is mixed by pouring the freshly poured tea into the glass and then poured back into the pot. Repeat this process four or five times. This mixing can be done in the kitchen or in front of the guests.

Now the tea is ready to be served. Fill two-thirds of each glass, trying to pour from one arm over each glass to get that nice frothy head. You can put some fresh mint in each teacup to get a stronger fresh mint aroma and for decoration. Bsauraha (cheers)!