How To Make Moroccan Mint Tea

Anyone who has visited Morocco will know that you can barely take a step in the Moroccan markets without seeing or smelling the fresh mint being sold in batches. And if you are Moroccan you will know that you won’t ever get away with visiting anyone there without at least being offered a glass of hot, Moroccan Mint Tea.

How To Pour Moroccan Mint Tea

Moroccans take so much pride in their tea and especially in how they pour it. They lift the teapot high above the cup while pouring it to create what we call the koushkousha which is the ring or layer of frothy foam & air bubbles that sits on top of the tea after poured. Let’s just say Moroccans really appreciate the way this aerates the tea and most families serve tea more than once a day, especially if you have visitors.

Don’t Forget to Try Other Variations Of Moroccan Mint Tea

No Moroccan drink is more iconic than this sweet Moroccan Mint Tea as we see how it’s loved by tourists as well as all the locals. The only downfall about this popular Moroccan beverage is that it’s traditionally made with lots of sugar! Chinese gunpowder green tea is enhanced with a generous handful of fresh mint leaves and brewed together in a Moroccan Tea Pot into a delightful refreshing snack; sometimes other types of mint or herbs may be added such as jasmine, thyme & wormwood.

Sugar Alternatives You Can Try In Moroccan Mint Tea

Natural sugar alternatives are vital in the movement to decrease white sugar cane consumption. And since in Morocco, drinking tea is a common daily social & family activity, many families serve tea more than once a day!

Research has shown excessive consumption of processed sugar is linked to:

• Obesity
• Metabolic syndrome
• Cardiovascular disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Fatty liver disease
• Cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Alzheimer’s

So it really can’t be good to drink sweet Moroccan Mint Tea with so much sugar on a daily basis. This has inspired me to give you some alternatives. So many people seem to think that they can’t enjoy Moroccan tea anymore because of this, however, this isn’t true. I am currently following a low carb and sugar diet and even I still enjoy Moroccan mint tea but just with a sugar substitute. My husband somehow miraculously converted me to drink green tea with no sugar and I never ever dreamed that would EVER happen, but it did, so I can actually drink this Moroccan tea with no sugar or sweetener at all. However, it can’t hold its name as Moroccan Mint Tea if it’s not sweet, without the sweetness it just becomes green tea with mint.

The following sweeteners are in order of my personal taste preference but feel free to experiment to see which ones you prefer:

1. Erythritol
2. Xylitol
3. Honey
4. Agave Nectar
5. Coconut Sugar
6. Date Syrup
7. Munk Fruit

Of course, making this sugar substitute is much better for your health in the long run, especially if you are wanting to enjoy Moroccan Mint Tea on a regular basis. However, if it’s a rare experience and you would prefer to indulge in some sweet therapy why not go all the way and enjoy it with some Moroccan Meloui bread, they are the perfect combo 😉

Moroccan Teapot Capacity & Servings

Moroccan teapots vary in size, but a small pot typically holds about 1/2 litre which yields 6 Moroccan tea glasses, while a larger pot usually holds about 1 litre, which yields 12 glasses.

This recipe & method is for a small pot of tea enough for 6 servings. If you can’t find the Gunpowder variety of green tea you may use an alternative however please bear in mind tea leaves do vary in quality and strength so you may need to adjust the amount used accordingly.

Moroccan Mint Tea

This recipe & method is for a small pot of tea enough for 6 servings. If you can't find the Gunpowder variety of green tea you may use an alternative however please bear in mind tea leaves do vary in quality and strength so you may need to adjust the amount used accordingly.

Servings 6 cups

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Equipment

• Moroccan Teapot (1-1 and 1/2 quart)
• Moroccan Tea Cups
• Moroccan Tea Tray

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea
• 1 Handful Fresh Mint (about 1oz) washed you can substitute this with dried spearmint leaves if fresh is unavailable
• 3-4 tbsp Sugar or Sweetener to taste
• 5 cups Boiling Water

Instructions

• Place the dried green tea leaves in a teapot and pour in 1 cup boiling water, then swirl gently to warm pot & rinse the tea. Then strain out and discard the water, reserving the tea leaves in the pot. This step is completed to remove the bitterness of the tea
• Moroccan teapots have built-in strainers; so if using another type of pot, you'll need to use a small strainer when pouring out the tea.
• Add the remaining 4 cups of boiling water to the teapot and let steep for a few minutes.
• Add in the sugar to taste and the fresh mint then steep over a small-medium heat stove until it starts to slightly bubble but not quite boiling point, this can take a few minutes (you can also choose to let it sit and brew for about five minutes or longer without putting it over the stove.)
• Stirring the sugar into the pot can prove tricky and your spoon can get tangled up with the mint, alternatively, some Moroccans like to mix the sugar into the tea by pouring the tea into a glass, then returning the tea back into the pot. This step is repeated quite a few times.
• Then you are ready to serve your tea. Moroccan tea is traditionally poured from at least a forearm's height over the glass; this allows the creation of the famous koushkousha. Always pour just over 1/2 a cup of tea into each Moroccan tea glass, this allows some space for the desired froth 😉
• Adding an extra sprig of mint to each glass can add extra flavour and beauty to the eye
  

Course: Beverages

Cuisine: Moroccan

Keyword: mint