Moroccan Mint Tea

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Moroccan mint tea isn’t just a drink in Morocco. It is a sign of hospitality and friendship and tradition. Because this drink is so popular, it is served all day long, after every meal, and, with every conversation.

Moroccans take great pride in their tea and will often ask a visitor who among their group of friends makes the best cup of mint tea.

What is Mint Tea?

Traditional in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania, and also in certain countries of the Near and Middle East, mint tea (in classical Arabic شاي بالنعناع chāï binna’nā ‘, or in Maghrebian Arabic أتاي atāy, لأتاي or latāy), also known as “Moroccan mint tea”, is a green tea that’s infused with spearmint leaves, and is generally very sweet.

Origin of Moroccan Mint Tea

Although mint tea is now consumed around the world, it was the Moroccans who first infused it with mint, as a way of counteracting the bitterness.

The origin can be traced back to the Crimean War in the 1850s. The British East India Company (BEIC) diverted tea intended for the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and, Lithuania) to Morocco, which left the English merchants with an excess of Chinese tea.

In their efforts to find new markets, they began to sell it in the Moroccan ports of Tangier and Essaouira (formerly Mogador).

Initially only accessible by the upper classes, tea became available to all social classes by the end of the 19th century.

At the start of the 20th century, tea had become Morocco’s most popular drink and traveled to other North African countries.

Moroccan Mint Tea Recipe

There are two ways of making Moroccan mint tea: the traditional way and the single-serving way. Here’s how to make them both!

To make traditional Moroccan mint tea you’ll need a teapot, preferably with a built-in strainer.

1. Boil: Boil water in a kettle or pot.
2. Clean: Add gunpowder green tea leaves to your teapot, then add enough boiling water to cover the leaves. Swirl it around then strain and discard the water. This cleans the leaves.
3. Steep: To your teapot with the cleaned gunpowder green tea leaves, add fresh mint and sugar. Fill the pot with remaining boiling water, allowing the tea to steep for 5 minutes.
4. Serve: Pour the tea into serving glasses from a height, which creates a frothy “head” on top of each glass.

To make Moroccan mint tea without a pot you’ll need a tea infuser.

1. Boil: Boil water in a kettle or pot.
2. Clean: Add gunpowder green tea leaves to your tea infuser. Fill the serving glass with a little boiling water, then dip the tea infuser into the water for a few seconds. Discard the water – this cleans the leaves.
3. Steep: Fill the serving glass with hot water, then add the infuser filled with the cleaned gunpowder green tea leaves, along with fresh mint and sugar. Let the tea steep for 5 minutes. Before enjoying.

FAQs

What is Moroccan Mint Tea Made of?

To make Moroccan mint tea, the ingredients are Gunpowder loose tea, a generous bunch of fresh mint leaves, and sugar. You can also flavor your tea with some aromatics as I will show you to give it a more interesting flavor and some health benefits. Choosing the right kettle or teapot is also primordial to making real Moroccan mint tea.

Authentic Moroccan mint tea is very sweet, but you can adjust the sugar quantity to match your taste and diet. I tend to cut sugar quantity by half, sometimes more, and leave the classic sweet version to special occasions or when I have sweet cravings.

What Teapot Do I Use for Moroccan Mint Tea?

To make traditional Moroccan mint tea, you will need either a Moroccan teapot or a heat-resistant teapot.

The reason is simple: Moroccan mint tea is prepared by active infusion, which means tea leaves infuse in boiling water for many minutes. A regular teapot cannot support the stove’s heat and can break.

I learned the hard way and lost some beautiful teapots in the process. So make sure your teapot is heat-resistant.

If that is not the case, I recommend looking for a good quality stainless steel Moroccan teapot. You can use it to make Moroccan mint tea but also any other teas or infusions. It also makes a great pitcher for serving coffee or wine.

What Kind of Tea is Used for Moroccan Mint Tea?

The tea used to make authentic Moroccan mint tea is the Chinese green gunpowder loose tea. It’s what gives mint tea the best results.

What Kind of Mint is Used for Moroccan Tea?

The mint used in traditional Moroccan mint tea is Spearmint, also called Nana Mint. This mint variety brings a strong flavor and delicate sweetness. If you can’t find Spearmint in your local store, no worries, you can use other mint varieties and your Moroccan mint tea will still be delicious!

Don’t forget to wash the brunches thoroughly before use. Moroccan people use a generous quantity of mint and sometimes, they have to bend the branches and squeeze them to make them enter the teapot.

Be generous with your mint, that’s how you’ll get the strong minty flavor of Moroccan mint tea. Moroccan mint tea needs a lot of mint branches. You can even add some branches to your cup to maximize the flavor.

How to Flavor Moroccan Mint Tea

Moroccans love to flavor their Moroccan mint tea. While the basic Moroccan mint tea is a go-to drink for every day, Moroccans like to add herbs, spices, and aromatics on special occasions or to get some health benefits.

As an example, during the cold season, Moroccans tend to add herbs known for their warming properties, like a variety of Pennyroyal mint and absinthe.

On special occasions like engagement parties and marriages, the most used herbs and spices are rosebuds, verbena, and/or cinnamon. They are known for enhancing the mood and encouraging a more relaxed and joyful gathering.

Be Sure to Try These Other Authentic Moroccan Dishes!

• Kefta – Moroccan Meatballs

• Maakouda – Moroccan Potato Cakes

• Moroccan Chicken Tagine