Moroccan mint tea, poured from a height

Moroccan mint tea is Chinese gunpowder green tea brewed in a pot with a large bunch of fresh spearmint and plenty of sugar, then poured from a height into small glasses so it froths. It is sweet, fresh and slightly bitter at the edges, and it takes about ten minutes. At home in Morocco it is offered to guests, served after meals and drunk through the day.

Green tea reached Morocco through trade with Britain, and it became widespread during the nineteenth century. Moroccans paired it with the spearmint they already grew, and the drink, often called atay, became part of daily hospitality across the Maghreb. Families differ on almost everything: how sweet, how much mint, whether to add other herbs. This is a simple, balanced version.

How to make it

1. Put the gunpowder tea in a teapot that can sit on the stove, or in an ordinary teapot.
2. Pour in about 100 ml of boiling water, swirl for a few seconds, then pour this first liquid into a glass and set it aside. It holds the tea's best aroma.
3. Pour in another splash of boiling water, swirl and discard it. This rinse takes away dust and some of the bitterness.
4. Add the mint, pushing it down into the pot, then the sugar. Pour back the reserved first glass and top up with the rest of the boiling water.
5. Let it steep for 3 to 4 minutes, or set the pot on a low flame for a minute or two until it just begins to bubble.
6. Pour a glass and pour it back into the pot two or three times to mix the sugar through.
7. Serve by pouring from as high as you can comfortably manage into small glasses, so a light foam forms on top.

Tips for the best flavour

• Use spearmint, not peppermint. Spearmint is sweet and soft; peppermint is sharper and more medicinal. Most supermarket "mint" is spearmint.
• Be generous with the mint. It should fill the top of the pot. Stalks and all is fine.
• Do not skip the rinse. Gunpowder tea is strong, and a quick rinse keeps it from turning harsh after a few minutes with the mint.
• Mix by pouring. Stirring bruises the mint. Pouring a glass out and back is the traditional way to blend in the sugar.
• Watch the steep. Past five minutes the tea becomes bitter and the mint dull. Pour it all out if you are not drinking it straight away.
• Pour high for the foam. The foam is a mark of a well-made pot. Start low and lift the pot as you pour; put the glass on a tray in case of splashes.

How sweet should it be

Traditional Moroccan mint tea is very sweet, often made with large chunks broken from a sugar cone. Many people now make it less sweet at home. This table gives a sense of the range for a pot of four glasses.

Variations

• Winter herbs: in colder months some families add a sprig of wormwood (sheeba) or a little sage alongside the mint.
• Other herbs: a few sprigs of lemon verbena or marjoram make a softer, more floral pot.
• Iced: brew it a little stronger, let it cool, and serve over ice with fresh mint. If you like cold tea, our hibiscus iced tea is another good jug for summer.
• Mint only: leave out the tea entirely for a caffeine-free mint infusion in the evening.

Make ahead and storage

Mint tea is best poured straight from the pot. Once the leaves have sat in the water for more than a few minutes the flavour turns bitter. If you have some left over, strain it and keep it in the fridge for a day as a cold tea.

Questions people ask

What is gunpowder green tea?

A Chinese green tea whose leaves are rolled into small, tight pellets that unfurl in hot water. It is smoky, strong and inexpensive, which suits a tea that is brewed with lots of mint and sugar. You can find it in most tea shops and many supermarkets. Our guide to green tea types explains how it compares with sencha and others.

Can I use another green tea?

Yes, but the result will be lighter. A Japanese sencha, for example, is grassier and easier to over-brew. Use slightly less and steep for less time.

Do I need a Moroccan teapot?

No. Any teapot works, and a stove-top pot simply lets you heat it a little more at the end. Pouring from height is easier with a pot that has a long, thin spout, which is part of why the traditional design looks the way it does. Our roundup of teapots for loose-leaf tea covers a few practical options.

Photograph: AI-generated image

Filed under mint tea, green tea, spearmint, morocco.