How to Make Moroccan Mint Tea
Rinse 6g (about 2 teaspoons) of Chinese gunpowder green tea with 100ml of boiling water and discard it, then add a large handful of fresh spearmint (15-20g), 25-50g of sugar and 500ml of boiling water at 100°C (212°F). Steep 3-5 minutes on low heat, mix by pouring a glass out and back into the pot 2-3 times, and serve in small glasses poured from about 30cm.
Moroccan mint tea, called atay in Darija, is green tea brewed with fresh spearmint and plenty of sugar. It is served to guests, after meals and through the day across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania. Preparing and pouring it is a sign of hospitality, and the host usually brews it at the table. The tea is Chinese. British merchants began selling Chinese green tea in Moroccan ports in the 19th century, and gunpowder green, whose leaves are rolled into tight pellets, became the standard because it kept well on long voyages. Chunmee and Zhejiang gunpowder grades are still imported in large volumes today. Moroccans paired it with spearmint, which grows everywhere in the country, and with sugar, sold in large cones. The method differs from most green tea brewing. Gunpowder is rinsed with boiling water first to remove dust and some of its bitterness, then brewed at full boil, often on the stove, because the sugar and mint can stand up to a stronger, more astringent tea. Pouring from height into small glasses cools the tea slightly, mixes the sugar evenly and raises a layer of foam on top, which is considered the sign of a well-made pot. The finished drink is sweet, bright and cooling despite being served hot. Spearmint is essential; peppermint is too sharp and medicinal for this drink.
Recipe
Teaware
- Stovetop-safe metal Moroccan teapot (500-600 ml)
- Kettle
- Small tea glasses (100-120 ml each)
- Serving tray
- Kitchen scale or teaspoon
- Large bunch of fresh spearmint
- Sugar (cubes or granulated)
Steps
- 1
Boil the water
Bring about 650ml of water to a full boil.
You need 100ml for the rinse, 500ml for the pot, and a little extra to warm the glasses.
- 2
Rinse the gunpowder
Put 6g of gunpowder green in the teapot, add 100ml of boiling water, swirl for 10-15 seconds and pour it off.
Some families keep the first 30-40ml in a glass as the essence of the tea and add it back later. Either way, the dusty rinse is not drunk on its own.
- 3
Add mint and sugar
Push a large handful of fresh spearmint, 15-20g of stems and leaves, into the pot and add 25-50g of sugar.
Rinse the mint and crush it slightly in your hand to release its oil. 25g of sugar is lightly sweet; 50g is closer to the traditional level.
- 4
Fill and brew
Fill the pot with 500ml of boiling water and set it on low heat or leave it to steep for 3-5 minutes.
Remove it before it boils hard; boiling the mint for long gives it a stewed, cabbage-like taste.
- 5
Mix by pouring
Pour a full glass out of the pot and pour it back in through the lid. Repeat 2-3 times to dissolve and spread the sugar.
Stirring is not traditional and does not mix as evenly; the pour-back does the work.
- 6
Taste and adjust
Pour a small amount into a glass and taste. Add sugar if needed and repeat the pour-back once.
If it tastes harsh, the tea is over-brewed; serve it now rather than adding more sugar to hide it.
- 7
Pour from height
Pour into small glasses, raising the pot to about 30cm above the glass as you pour, and fill each glass halfway to two thirds.
The height cools the tea and builds a foam crown on top. Start low, raise the pot, then lower it to finish without splashing.
Tips
- Use spearmint (Mentha spicata), not peppermint; peppermint tastes sharp and medicinal in this drink.
- In winter, Moroccans sometimes add a few leaves of wormwood (sheba) alongside the mint.
- Hold the small glasses by the rim and base; the sides get very hot.
- A second pot can be made from the same leaf by adding fresh mint, sugar and boiling water; it will be lighter.
- Buy gunpowder graded 3505 or similar Chinese export grades; very cheap dusty gunpowder turns bitter quickly.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping the rinse — dust and extra bitterness end up in the glass; rinse with 100ml of boiling water first.
- Using peppermint or dried mint — the cup tastes medicinal or flat; use a large handful of fresh spearmint.
- Boiling the pot hard for 10 minutes — mint stews and the tea turns harsh; brew 3-5 minutes on low heat.
- Stirring with a spoon instead of pouring back — the sugar stays at the bottom; pour a glass back into the pot 2-3 times.
- Filling the glasses to the rim — no room for foam and too hot to hold; fill halfway to two thirds.