Authentic Moroccan Maghrebi Sweet & Fresh Mint Tea

Moroccan mint tea, or atay b’naanaa, is so much more than just a drink in Morocco, it’s a tradition and a symbol of hospitality, served at the end of meals, as a little afternoon pick me up, and really on every special occasion or gathering with family and friends. This tea, made with green tea leaves (traditionally Chinese gunpowder green tea) and fresh spearmint, is known for its refreshing flavour and for the whole ritual around brewing and pouring it. In Morocco it’s usually made slowly and with a lot of care, often by the men of the house, and poured from up high to create a thin layer of foam, a little sign of respect for the guest.

Since I hopped over to Morocco not long ago, I figured I’d come share the experience here. To make the authentic version, besides fresh spearmint, it really helps to have a Moroccan teapot, a special kettle built to take direct heat from the stove and keep the tea nice and hot, but yeah if you don’t have one, a regular kettle works just fine too. The process is simple, but it does take a bit of prep and a bit of care, first the tea is boiled to cut down on the bitterness, then it’s mixed with the mint and sugar to strike a perfect balance between sweetness and herbal freshness, and finally it’s poured from a height to create that foam on top. This is traditionally served quite sweet, but I’d say you can make it with less sugar and let everyone add more to their own taste. Alright, on to the recipe!

Authentic Moroccan Maghrebi Sweet & Fresh Mint Tea

Servings: 5
Time: 20mins
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: ★★★★★
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This is one of those drinks you gotta try in Morocco, its like a mix between a tea and a sweet dessert, its highly addictive the best possible ways.

Ingredients

Green Tea – 3 teaspoons (Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea)
Spearmint – 4–5 bunches (I’d say one bunch is a handful)
Water – 1 liter
Sugar – 60 gr (+/- Depending on taste; see Notes)

Directions

Heat about 1 cup of water until it starts to boil, I used the microwave.
Pour the green tea into a kettle (or, if you have a teteria, a typical Moroccan kettle). Pour the water you boiled into the kettle over it and let it steep for 1 minute. Discard this water, but keep the tea in the kettle (this removes the tannins from the tea, as these are the first to dissolve in the water, making the tea naturally less bitter).
While waiting, fill a pot with about a liter of water and bring it to a boil (without letting it boil completely).
While the water is heating, wash the peppermint leaves in cold water and remove the larger stems, keeping only the softer leaves and stems.
When the water in the pot starts to boil (but doesn’t boil over), pour it into the kettle over the green tea and simmer for about 2 minutes if you have a Moroccan kettle. Or if, like me, you have a Pyrex kettle, I microwaved it on low just to let the tea steep well.
Remove from the heat/microwave and let it rest for a few seconds before adding the Spearmint leaves, pressing them lightly into the bottom of the kettle (but without cooking them, so as not to lose their natural aroma).
Add the sugar to the kettle, but without stirring.
Now, to mix the tea well, pour it into a glass and then pour it back into the kettle. Repeating this several times (I did 5), this will not only mix the tea well but also oxygenate it properly, which will only intensify the aroma.
Let the tea steep for about 5 minutes in the kettle.
And that’s it, serve this piping hot in small cups or mugs. If you have a Moroccan kettle, pour it by gently lifting the kettle while continuing to pour, creating a thin stream of liquid. This will cool the tea slightly but also create some foam on top. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: I adjusted this recipe a bit to my own taste. In Morocco I’d say they have a pretty heavy hand with the sugar, I’d guess for 1 liter of water they use more like 120 g. The drink has a strong mint and tea flavor but it’s also quite sweet, the kind of sweetness where you can actually see sugar settle at the bottom of the glass, which I admit is delicious, but it’s practically a dessert at that point, and I personally prefer things a little less sweet, but please adjust the level of sweetness to your taste!

So taste before adding all the sugar, you can always add more, but you can’t take it out once it’s dissolved in. Also i saw in Morocco them using brown sugar and/or plain white sugar, i went with white but I’m guessing it will be nice with brown sugar as well.

Fresh spearmint really is non-negotiable here, peppermint works in a pinch but it changes the character of the tea quite a bit, spearmint is softer and sweeter tasting.

If you don’t own a Moroccan teapot, don’t stress, a regular kettle or even a small pot does the job, you’ll just miss out on the dramatic high pour and the additional foam.

The tea rinse step (step 2) really matters, it’s what keeps the final tea from turning bitter, don’t skip it even if it feels like an extra step.

Leftover tea keeps in the fridge for a day or two, just give it a good stir or shake before serving again since the sugar can settle.

This recipe for Authentic Moroccan Maghrebi Sweet & Fresh Mint Tea was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Chá Marroquino de Menta Magrebe foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.