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Moroccan Mint Tea
The Drink of
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Moroccan Mint Tea
The Drink of
a Nation
by Elizabeth Bouffard

I first tasted Moroccan mint tea after trying Moroccan food for the first time. I had finished an amazingly satisfying meal of tagine (slow-cooked meat, fruits and vegetables), when the server tried coaxing me into dessert. As tempted as I was, I decided instead to opt for a Moroccan mint tea to help digest my dinner. The server returned to the table a few minutes later with an elaborate tray holding a large silver teapot with a long, slender spout, a delicate glass and a silver tray full of sugar. I immediately inhaled the aroma of soothing mint.

   The server told me to wait a few minutes before drinking the tea to allow it to steep. I sat patiently, and he soon returned to pour the infusion. He held the teapot a meter or so above the small glass and deftly poured the first cup. He instructed me to drink the first cup quickly, then he said "zggah," or "drink." I swallowed the first infusion, and the following two, and instantly felt relaxed. My almost forgotten tagine had suddenly left me feeling slightly satiated rather than overly full. My friends promptly ordered another pot to share.

   I returned to this restaurant several times, always finishing my meals with the same minty euphoria. I tried another restaurant closer to my neighborhood—not as opulent as the first spot, but equally as good in its cuisine. After dinner I enjoyed the show of the ceremony and the soothing effect of the brew, but something was different. The aroma wasn't the same, and the flavor was a bit more complex. I guessed that perhaps a different tea was used. I asked the server how the tea was made, and he explained that he had added orange flower water. This marked my discovery that that there are as many different variations of Moroccan mint tea as there are people who drink it.

   The history of tea in Morocco dates back to 1720, when England's King George I offered the Sultan of Morocco a supply of Chinese green tea as a gift. The green tea was mixed with sugar and fresh mint, which was plentiful in the markets of Morocco. The mint, which was indigenous to Morocco and widely available, was used to offset the pungency of the green tea.

   Traditionally, Moroccan mint tea is made with Gunpowder tea, a rolled Chinese green. Originally, this tea (also called zucha, which is Chinese for pearl) was rolled to preserve its freshness for the long journeys from China to Africa. The fact that it traveled so well and was inexpensive made Gunpowder the tea of choice.

   After the Crimean War in the 1850s (between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, England, France, and Sardinia), Morocco became a popular tea-trading post for the British, who were seeking out new countries to purchase their tea cargos. Morocco became a key buyer, and the country's tea consumption flourished. Today, almost 300 years since that original gift between leaders, Moroccan mint tea has become the national drink of Morocco.

   Tea is an integral part of daily life in Morocco. Moroccans enjoy it as a mid-day break, an aperitif before a meal and an after-dinner drink. The elaborate ceremony associated with Moroccan mint tea is often reserved for business and special occasions, and it is traditionally performed by a male, often the head of a household. The ceremony requires a three-legged silver tray (called a sinya), on which is placed an elaborate samovar, a teapot, and three boxes to hold mint, tea and sugar. The teapot is fat-bellied, with a long spout, a design that helps a server pour the tea from heights of a meter or more, thus releasing the tea's intoxicating aroma.

   Other ingredients, such as orange flowers, wormwood and saffron, sometimes accompany the green tea, mint and sugar. The addition of such ingredients is often for health reasons or to simply add aromatic refinement to the tea. Some recipes call for the first infusion of the leaves to be poured off, ridding the initial pot of much of its pungency. In Senegal, for example, women don't taste the first infusion. It is considered too strong to be good for their health. Crystal glasses used for drinking the tea are normally quite small, but the understanding is that guests will have more than one glass. It is common for each person to enjoy three glasses of the tea at each serving.

   In America, ceremonial Moroccan mint tea is found mostly in Moroccan restaurants, and many aren't too picky about the quality of the green tea they use. Often, recipes simply call for "any Chinese green tea" or "green tea." While many teahouses sell high-quality Moroccan mint tea by the glass or in bulk form, few retailers serve it in the traditional ceremonial manner. Whether this is because of the intricacy of the ceremony or the limited availability of the necessary teaware, offering some version of the drink can be a fascinating way to educate consumers about its exotic traditions and to showcase the attractive Gunpowder tea.

   Setting up a teapot with fresh spearmint, Gunpowder and sugar is a simple way to educate customers about Moroccan mint tea. Including recipe cards with the purchase of Gunpowder tea is also a great way to highlight this traditional drink. Another option, though not traditional, is to offer an iced version of Moroccan mint tea. In the sphere of iced drink choices, featuring an exotic green tea-based option on a menu may be a good way to interest consumers in the drink. While Americans may not find themselves drinking Moroccan mint tea morning, noon and night, by trying it, they will certainly gain more insight into one of the world's most fascinating tea traditions.

   To find information about Moroccan mint teaware, visit www.importsfrommarrakesh.com, which offers silver teapots, brass trays and a large assortment of traditional glasses used to make the tea. Another site, www.saffrocco.com offers beautiful and traditional Moroccan teapots.

A MOROCCAN INFUSION
I took it upon myself to experiment in my own kitchen with the various recipes I have come across for Moroccan mint tea. I tried using only fresh spearmint leaves, the stems from the spearmint, raw sugar, sugarloaf, Gunpowder, and other Chinese green teas. It appears that there is no best recipe for Moroccan mint tea, but with the help of many friends and neighbors, I have come up with what I consider to be a wonderful recipe. Enjoy!

   1 teaspoon of Gunpowder green tea
   6-8 leaves of fresh spearmint (plus two for the glass)
   2 teaspoons of sugar
   1 small pinch of saffron stems

   Place the tea in a teapot. Add six ounces of water at three minutes off of the boil to the pot. After 30 seconds, pour off the water. Add eight ounces of water at three minutes off of the boil to the pot. Add the spearmint, sugar and saffron to the pot and pour more water into the pot. Steep the infusion in a teapot for three minutes. Place two spearmint leaves at the bottom of a glass and pour the tea.

Elizabeth Bouffard is the director of retail operations for Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters & Tea Blenders, in Chicago. Prior to working at Intelligentsia, she worked for Peet's Coffee and Tea in the San Francisco Bay Area and Chicago.

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