Mint Tea
Moroccans drink tea – a lot of tea. In fact, they are the second most enthusiastic (per capita) consumers of tea, lagging only behind... Turkey. The average American drinks about ¾ of a pound of tea a year (perhaps you drink more than that) which seems paltry compared to the average Moroccan, who clocks in at nine and a half pounds annually!
When Moroccans have tea it is usually the deservedly famous and extremely delicious Moroccan mint tea. While you may not have a set of pretty Moroccan tea cups or a pretty silver or stainless steel Moroccan teapot, you can still make a lovely batch of Moroccan mint tea at home.
Some would be surprised to learn that a key ingredient in Moroccan Mint Tea is Gunpowder Green tea from China, first brought to that country by British tea merchants when the Crimean War closed their intended baltic ports.
Here’s our preferred recipe, though there are many variations on the theme.
- In a saucepan: combine 4 tsp of Gunpowder Green tea with a quart of water and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Strain the tea leaves out, add 3 tbs of white sugar and a generous amount of mint (10 sprigs is perfect) and bring to a boil.
As soon as the sugar has dissolved your tea is ready and can be poured into glasses.
It is worth noting that this is a drink of excess, both bitter and highly sweet. You may want to start with 2 tbs of sugar and sweeten to taste.
