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Moroccan mint tea (in Arabic shāy bi-l-nanāʿ, commonly called atay in dialect) is a hot infusion made from Chinese green tea (traditionally of the Special Gunpowder variety) prepared with fresh mint leaves – typically Moroccan Nanah mint – and a generous amount of sugar. This combination of intense green tea and sweet fragrant mint has become the symbol of hospitality in Morocco.
Not surprisingly, mint tea is considered the national drink throughout the Maghreb: it is consumed multiple times a day, from dawn to dusk, in every season and occasion. If you are a guest in a Moroccan home, you will always be offered a tray of steaming tea as a sign of welcome and cordiality; refusing it would even be seen as a discourteous gesture.
In Morocco – a country known for its proverbial hospitality – a simple cup of tea "is worth more than a thousand words": it is a gesture of friendship and respect that immediately creates a convivial atmosphere. For this reason, Moroccan tea is jokingly called "Berber whiskey" by the locals, humorously indicating the ultimate social beverage of the country (strictly non-alcoholic, yet capable of marking daily life better than any other drink!).
Moroccan mint tea is much more than a blend of water, tea, mint, and sugar: it is cultural identity in a glass, a sharing ritual that Moroccans carry in their hearts and proudly offer to anyone who crosses their threshold.
Want to recreate authentic Moroccan mint tea at home? At Terzaluna, you can find Special Gunpowder Green Tea, carefully selected to offer you the same quality that accompanies Maghreb rituals. Just a few fresh mint leaves and a touch of sugar are enough to bring the charm of Marrakech markets into your cup.
How did tea arrive in a land like Morocco, today the world's largest consumer of green tea? The story is fascinating and takes us back centuries.
It is said that the first appearance of tea in Morocco dates back to the 18th century, during the reign of Sultan Mulay Ismāʿīl. At that time – around the late 1600s – Queen Anne of Great Britain sent the sultan some chests of green tea as a diplomatic gesture of gratitude, to thank Mulay Ismāʿīl for the release of some English prisoners.
This exotic gift aroused curiosity at court: the sultan (apparently already a great lover of sugar) appreciated the new beverage so much that he established a "tea division" at the palace, and soon Chinese tea became a fixture among the Moroccan elite. However, for some decades, consumption remained limited to aristocratic circles, initially opposed by some religious figures.
This spectacular pouring from above is not just for aesthetics: it oxygenates the infusion, enhancing its flavor, and at the same time, it is a demonstration of respect towards the guests (it is said that the higher the pour, the greater the honor for those receiving the tea). The moment when the host fills the glasses is almost solemn: everyone watches the sparkling stream of tea fill one glass after another, releasing the fresh aroma of mint.
Every gesture of the ceremony gains meaning only with quality ingredients. At Terzaluna, you can find the Special Gunpowder Green Tea, the ideal companion to make your Moroccan ritual at home authentic.
According to tradition, each guest will drink at least three glasses of tea, one after the other, as a sign of abundance and good fortune. This custom is accompanied by a famous Tuareg proverb that poetically summarizes the experience of the three consecutively served glasses:
«The first glass is sweet as life, the second is strong as love, the third is bitter as death.»
This saying—originating among the desert nomads but widespread throughout the Maghreb—associates each round of tea with symbolism about the stages of life: the initial sweetness, the intense strength of the central moment, the final bitterness. While enjoying the tea, one often transitions from light and joyful conversations (sweet as life) to deeper and more serious talks (strong as love), concluding in respectful meditative silence (bitter as death).
It's surprising to think how a simple drinking ritual can encompass such meanings. Indeed, for Moroccans, mint tea is the ritual of union par excellence: whether with family or friends, in a mountain village or a city living room, sharing tea means creating a moment of sacred conviviality, where time slows down and human warmth spreads sip by sip.
Preparing authentic Moroccan mint tea is much more than following a recipe: it is a small ceremonial rite, codified by time and experience. In Morocco, the preparation of tea is often entrusted to the head of the family or the most esteemed person present—emphasizing the symbolic importance of the moment.
It is not simply about pouring water over leaves, but about performing a series of precise and harmonious gestures that enhance the flavor and convivial meaning of the beverage.
To prepare perfect mint tea in the Moroccan way, make sure you have the right ingredients and utensils at your disposal.
If you can't find fresh mint, don't give up on the ritual: on Terzaluna you can order dried Nanah Mint or Nana Mint, perfect for giving your Moroccan tea that authentic aroma that smells of souks and hospitality. Just add it generously to the teapot to recreate the Maghreb atmosphere at home.
- The mint used in Moroccan tea - Digestive and relaxing properties - Excellent refreshing and sweet taste
Traditional Teapot – In Morocco, special metal teapots are used, often made of silver alloy or steel, decorated with Arabesque motifs. These teapots are made to go on the fire and withstand high temperatures. They have a long curved spout that allows you to pour the tea easily from above without getting burned.
The glasses are small glass tumblers, often decorated with colorful motifs or gilding. Traditionally, the tea is served on a round metal tray: the presentation is as important as the content!
First, put 2-3 teaspoons of Gunpowder green tea in the empty and already warm teapot (warmed with a bit of boiling water that you have then discarded). Then pour a small amount of boiling water over the leaves – just enough to cover them – and gently swirl the teapot so that the water reaches all the tea leaves.
Let it rest for about 1 minute, then pour out this rinse water and discard it (let it flow out of the spout while holding the lid in place). This step serves to clean the tea leaves of any dust and impurities, as well as to remove excess bitterness and "awaken" the tea's aroma.
Place a generous handful of fresh mint leaves (previously rinsed with running water) into the teapot. You can be generous: for example, a bunch of 15-20 leaves, or even more if the teapot is large. Immediately after, add the sugar. In Morocco, one or two large blocks of semi-refined sugar are used; if unavailable, 4-5 sugar cubes or a couple of heaping tablespoons of granulated sugar will do.
At this point, fill the teapot completely with boiling water (or just below boiling, ~85°C). The water should reach almost to the brim of the teapot. Close the lid and put the teapot back on the stove over medium-low heat, bringing it back to a boil for about 2-3 minutes.
In this phase, tea, mint, and sugar boil together, creating the magic of the aromatic infusion: you will see the mint leaves turn a darker green and the minty aroma fill the air.
Now comes a characteristic step of the Moroccan ritual. Before serving the tea, you need to mix and aerate it well. How is this done? Pour a first glass of tea from the teapot and set it aside, then pour a second glass and set it aside as well. At this point, pour those glasses of tea back into the teapot. This operation is repeated several times – typically 3 times – by pouring and repouring the liquid.
This curious procedure has a dual function: it perfectly mixes the tea with the sugar (which tends to settle at the bottom) and at the same time incorporates oxygen into the infusion, making its flavor rounder and more uniform. You will see a light foam of bubbles forming on the surface: it is a sign that the tea is well aerated.
The traditional way of serving Moroccan tea is also an art. You grasp the teapot firmly, possibly protecting the lid knob with a napkin to avoid burning yourself, and pour the tea while holding the teapot high – even half a meter above the glasses if you are skilled!
From the narrow, curved spout of the teapot, a continuous stream of amber liquid descends, hitting the bottom of the glasses and creating a froth on the surface. This spectacle of pouring from above not only serves to further oxygenate the tea and slightly cool it as it descends, but it is part of the hospitality choreography: in a Moroccan living room, seeing the host pour the tea with a steady hand and elegant gesture from above is a true highlight of the ritual.
One of the riches of mint tea is that, although widespread throughout the Maghreb, it presents fascinating small local variations. Changing region or season, sometimes the added ingredients or preparation methods change.
In the nomadic communities of the Sahara (such as the Tuareg in southern Algeria, Mali, Niger), the tea ritual takes on even more particular connotations. In the desert, fresh mint is often scarce, so the tea is prepared with very little mint or even without mint at all, using however a very abundant dose of green tea. The result is an extremely concentrated, strong, and bitter infusion – known as Saharan tea.
The Tuareg tea ceremony is famous for its slowness and precision: the tea is traditionally served in three consecutive rounds, obtained by using the same tea leaves infused multiple times. In practice, a first very strong tea is prepared (the essence of the leaves, very bitter), then the leaves are reused for a second less intense but sweeter round (often adding a lot of sugar), and finally a third light and delicate round.
According to Tuareg custom, each of the three glasses has a different taste and meaning – recalling the proverb mentioned earlier. Preparing tea in the desert is a ritual that can last up to an hour, with the tea slowly boiling over a wood or charcoal fire and the guests sitting in a circle on the sand.
In Tunisia and some areas of Algeria, green mint tea is customary, but with taste differences. Often in Tunisia, a tea even more concentrated and slightly less sweet than in Morocco is preferred. A uniquely Tunisian peculiarity is the use of pine nuts: it is common to serve mint tea with some pine nuts immersed in the glass, which release a particular resinous aroma and are then eaten at the end of the drink.
This is a Gunpowder originally from China, processed using traditional methods, with leaves hand-rolled into small, shiny pearls. During infusion, these balls slowly "unfurl," releasing a liquor with an intense golden-yellow color and a full, slightly smoky flavor. A Special Gunpowder truly makes a difference in preparing Moroccan tea: its bold notes perfectly complement fresh mint and sugar, without being too weak or excessively bitter.
It is prepared with Gunpowder green tea, fresh mint, and sugar following a precise ritual. First, the tea leaves are rinsed with a bit of boiling water (which is then discarded), then mint and sugar are added to the teapot, and it is filled with boiling water. The mixture is left to infuse for a few minutes (often putting the teapot back on the heat). Finally, the tea is mixed by pouring a couple of glasses and pouring them back into the teapot to mix well and oxygenate, and it is served by pouring it from a height into small glasses. The result is a hot, sweet, and mint-scented tea, to be enjoyed in 3 consecutive glasses.
Chinese green tea of the Gunpowder type is used, locally called "Special Gunpowder." It is a tea with leaves rolled into balls, with an intense and slightly astringent taste, which perfectly matches fresh mint. Good quality Gunpowder, once infused, releases a robust aroma that balances the sweetness of sugar and the aroma of mint. In practice, without Gunpowder, there is no authentic Moroccan tea!
It is beneficial in various aspects: mint has digestive and refreshing properties, helping to better digest and relieve a bloated stomach. Green tea provides many antioxidants that counteract free radicals, with positive effects on the heart and aging. It contains a bit of caffeine, so it is slightly stimulating: it helps improve concentration and energy gently, without causing too much agitation. Additionally, mint freshens the breath and has a balsamic effect on the respiratory tract (the steam from hot mint tea can provide relief in case of a stuffy nose). In general, drinking mint tea is a pleasure that combines taste and well-being.
In Morocco, it is simply called "atay," which means "tea" in the local dialect. Sometimes it is referred to as atây bi-nanâ (which in Arabic means "tea with mint") to specify the presence of mint. As a joke, as mentioned, many also call it "Berber whiskey." In any case, if in Morocco you just say "atay," everyone will understand that you mean the classic sweet mint green tea.
In theory, yes, it can be prepared with little or no sugar, but the method needs to be adapted. Gunpowder green tea is very bitter if extracted hot for a long time. If you want a less sweet tea, use water around 80°C and a short infusion (2 minutes) to obtain a more delicate liquor. This way, it will be drinkable even with little sugar or alternative sweeteners. However, keep in mind that the traditional taste is decidedly sweet: the high sweetness serves precisely to balance the astringency of the strong tea. A middle ground could be to add only 1-2 teaspoons of sugar (instead of the original 5-6) and perhaps a stevia leaf in infusion to naturally sweeten.
We hope this guide has immersed you in the magic of Moroccan mint tea, making you want to try it immediately. From a lively scene in a souk to the tranquility of your kitchen, atay brings with it a world of tradition, flavor, and well-being in every glass. All that's left is to wish you good preparation and – as they toast in Morocco – Bəssaha wa raha (to health and well-being)!
