Moroccan Mint Tea Recipe from Our Journeys in Morocco
Ahhhh, finally, another civilized country. One that serves TEA – Moroccan mint tea to be exact.
Of course, this is totally my opinion since I’m a tea drinker. The hubby loves coffee, so he’s perfectly happy with everywhere we had been up until now on our 2015/16 travels. BUT most of those coffee-based countries just don’t know how to make good tea.
And while Morocco serves coffee, Moroccan mint tea is its specialty. I admit to becoming quite addicted to this tea because it combines two of my favorite tea flavors – green and mint.
How to Make Moroccan Mint Tea
Moroccan mint tea is NOT your ordinary mint tea. It is steeped in tradition and ritual (pun intended!).
Life and patience come to mind when both making and drinking Moroccan mint tea.
It takes time to brew the perfect cup or cups, I should say. Traditionally one drinks three glasses of the steeping in the pot, as explained by the Moroccan proverb:
“The first glass is as bitter as life,
The second glass is as strong as love,
The third is as gentle as death.”
Part of the tradition is also the equipment to brew and drink the tea. Moroccan teapots are made of metal. And they drink from small decorative glasses instead of teacups.
The Moroccans take pride in their mint tea. Each having a tea recipe as unique as the person. Used to show hospitality and friendship, we drank A LOT of tea while in Morocco. EVERYONE wanted to share a pot a tea with us – even if it was just an attempt to get us to buy something.
Moroccan Green Tea Ingredients
Adding peppermint, spearmint, or a mixture of the two along with varying amounts of “gunpowder” green tea, and sugar. Each Moroccan has their own recipe for making Moroccan Mint Tea.. Some add a little or a lot of mint. Others add other types of herbs to the tea, especially depending on the season.
Our Airbnb host, Aziz, adds Artemisia to his, creating a slightly bitter tea with deep depths of warm flavor that we fully enjoyed and added to ours as well. Another commonly added herb is sage. Both of these are typically added in the winter and left out in the summer.
The Tea – Gunpowder Green Tea
Another special thing about Moroccan tea is the tea itself. It uses a green tea called “gunpowder” from China.
The gunpowder appearance comes from rolling the tea leaves between the fingers to create small pellets before drying. Personally, I didn’t see the gunpowder resemblance. But you can make up your mind by checking out the photo above.
“Gunpowder” tea has more caffeine than regular tea (YAY) and a stronger flavor. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you will want to drink less or at a weaker strength.
The Higher the Pour
Finally, the last part of the ritual is the distributing of the sugar evenly throughout the tea. Poured from high above into a drinking glass, the tea creates a bubbly foam on top. Afterward, you pour the tea back into the pot and then repeat the high pour three to four more times to complete making the tea.
The higher above the glass, the more skilled the pourer. And like the usual “cockfight” between men, as they compete to see can pour the tea the highest without spilling a drop. And I have to admit; it is impressive. We saw some poured as high as four feet above the glass with the guy standing up fully above the glass.
Aziz taught David how to make tea. It’s a man thing in Morocco. Women make tea as well, but it’s associated more often with men. But that does make the hubby my official Moroccan mint tea-making bitch now.
Luckily enough, I convinced Aziz to share his recipe for Moroccan Mint Tea. So enjoy making your own. If you need any tips or pointers don’t be afraid to reach out. And please, let us know how you liked the tea or if you’ve had experiences in Morocco, in the comments. Also, don’t miss another adventure into our Moroccan travels where I learned to make chocolate pancakes, Cutthroat Kitchen style.
Moroccan Mint Tea
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 2.5 tsp loose “gunpowder” green tea
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 8 sprigs fresh mint (approx. 6” long) washed
- 4 sprigs artemisia or sage if desired
Instructions
- You’ll need a working teapot, not a decorative one. Add tea leaves to the teapot. Set aside.
- Place water in a small pot and bring to a boil.
- Pour ½ cup of boiling water on the tea leaves. Allow to sit for approximately 30 seconds to a minute, then swirl around and drain out the water, reserving the tea leaves in the teapot.
- Give the mint sprigs a good twist to bruise them and place into the teapot.
- Pour in the rest of the hot water.
- Place the teapot on the burner and bring to a boil. Boil gently for about 5 minutes.
- Add sugar to the pot.
- Remove teapot from the burner and allow tea/mint too steep for 5 minutes.
- To mix the sugar, pour tea from about a foot or higher above into a serving glass. Pour tea back into the teapot and repeat this process for 3 to 4 times. This part of the process not only mixes the sugar but also aerates the tea.
- To serve the tea, using the same high pouring method, forming creamy bubbles on top the tea.