The Mint tea drinking culture of Moroccans.

The mint tea, also called Arabian tea or more familiar berber whisky, is the traditional drink of Arabian countries. It is brewed from green tea leaves (usually gunpowder type) and mint leaves, accompanied by a lot of sugar and served in very hot form.

In Morocco, mint tea is the national beverage.

Of the 20 largest tea consumers in the world, half of these are Arabian countries. And of Arabian countries, Morocco is the one who consumes the largest amount of tea.

Tea has been in existence in Morocco for more than 4 centuries under the form of gifts from England Embassadors to the court of Morocco, it was then the Emperor’s beverage and then royalty’s and noble class’s.

A tea party lasted for at least 2 hours and only the rich people could drink tea because it was very rare. It was not until the Crimée war in the 1854 that the act of drinking tea was popularised in Morocco.

The beautiful set of kettles and cups used for brewing mint tea in Morocco.

The Moroccans enjoy mint tea very much, they consider mint tea a beverage that shows hospitality to the guests. Beside the use of helping to digest high-fat and spicy food, people assume that it also has the function of lessening anxiety, helping to sleep well, stimulate the senses and even easing the pain of elderly people…Tea is consumed everywhere, every time and in all social classes.

Gunpowder tea – a type of fresh green tea with round leaves like gunpowder bars or buttons – is used for making mint tea.

The method of making mint tea is as finical as the one in Japan or China. The Moroccans usually choose the gunpowder type of tea from the Chinese to brew into a kettle and pour boiling water in. After 2 minutes, they pour out the water and add sugar cubes in and continue to pour boiling water back into the kettle. Then, they add fresh mint leaves, leave it there for 15-20 minutes and stir well. To make the tea smooth, the people pour tea into small cups and later pour it back to the kettle.

Mint tea is consumed everywhere, at any time and in any social classes.

With hands holding the kettle high (to create froth), people pour tea into small glasses or cups with delicate decoration. When offered mint tea, guests should not refuse because this is considered an unfriendly gesture to the host. The Berber in Morocco has a proverb saying “the first tea cup is as sweet as life, the second as gentle as love and the third as bitter as death”.

When pouring tea, always remember to raise your hand to create froth.

In Morocco, mint tea is the national beverage. The Maroccans drink this at any occasion; when signing contracts, when welcoming the guests, when finished the meals, or simply when thirsty. This custom rooted from the middle of 18th century when the first English merchandise arrived in the coastal Morocco.

A vendour selling mint tea in Morocco.