Moroccan Mint tea, an ancestral tradition
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| Moroccan Mint tea |
Mint tea is the traditional drink of the Maghreb countries and originates from Morocco. The tea is obtained by infusing green tea leaves (Gunpowder type) and spearmint (Nanah type), accompanied by lots of sugar and served very hot.
In Morocco, tea is, in particular, the best drink for hospitality.. A large number of virtues, especially tonic and digestive, are lent to the drink.
Even if it is a hot drink, Moroccans drink it all day. Purchases and contracts are traditionally concluded with a glass of tea. It is also impossible to leave a house or a restaurant without enjoying it. A pleasant ritual!
Its preparation and taste vary depending on the regions and countries of the Maghreb. It is thus sweeter in the north than in the south of Morocco.
History and Introduction of tea in Morocco:
The consumption of tea in the Maghreb suggests that the richness of the traditions linked to this use has very ancient origins in the region, but it should be recalled that tea appeared in China almost 5,000 years ago. Under the Hans Dynasty, it was a drink reserved for the Court: it was necessary to wait centuries for it to generalize as a popular drink and for it to be marketed all over the world.During the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismaïl, tea made its entry into Morocco: as a present of the English embassies at the Court, it was then a rare drink reserved for the Sultan and the notables.
The use of tea was widespread in Morocco during the Crimean War of 1854. The blockade of the Baltic, prohibiting English merchants from Slavic countries, prompted the East India Company to seek other commercial outlets for the surplus of goods amassed in its colonial trading posts. The Moroccan ports very close to Gibraltar were then designated to transport the product to Morocco. The counters of Tangier and Mogador (Essaouira) formed the hubs of the tea trade which gradually became a popular drink.
The marriage between tea, spearmint, sugar and teapot would make people happy and the fortune of merchants: in the space of half a century, the new drink had spread throughout Morocco and the Sahara.
Long imported entirely from Asia, it has been cultivated locally for several years. In Morocco, the Loukkos plain now produces 10% of national consumption.
Moroccan culture around tea:
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| Moroccan Mint tea |
What teas do they drink?
Gunpowder, which is a Chinese green tea. If mint tea is the most famous of Moroccan teas, there are however many variations: absinthe, verbena, marjoram and sage are commonly used in its preparation in northern Morocco. In the South, we sometimes prefer a pinch of saffron, a few anise seeds or even a hint of pepper.Why serve high tea?
The typical Maghreb service, by raising the teapot high, has several advantages: it oxidizes, cools and froths the tea. However, this gesture was born from the desire of noble families to show everyone the fly, that is to say the engravings of the teapot handle!Ingredients: (for2 people)
- Lump sugar to taste
- 1 handful of fresh mint
- 2 teaspoons of green tea
Preparation:
- Rinse the teapot with boiling water. Add 2 teaspoons of tea and half a teaspoon of boiling water.
- Mix quickly and discard this first water. Crumple the mint leaves and put them in the teapot.
- Add the sugar cubes as desired. Fill with boiling water and let steep for about 5 minutes.
- Serve the tea in well decorated tea glasses. Then empty the glasses in the teapot
Serving Moroccan tea: some tips:
- When pouring tea, it is best to hold the teapot half a meter high from the glass, so that a small layer of foam appears on the surface of the tea.
- Choose fresh frizzy mint. Peppermint does not have quite the same taste as in Morocco.
- Complement your Moroccan tea ceremony with a sweet Moroccan cookie. The perfect accompaniment to a delicious meal!
- Repeat this operation three times this method allows to intimately mix the tea, the aromas of moooow.
- Serve the steaming tea without completely filling the glasses.
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