Moroccan Mint Tea: History, the Pouring Ritual and How to Make It at Home

In Morocco, mint tea is far more than a drink. It is the first thing you are offered when you enter a home, a shop, a riad or a desert camp. It slows down conversations, seals business deals and welcomes strangers. Sharing a glass of tea is the simplest and most sincere form of Moroccan hospitality.

This guide tells the story of Moroccan mint tea, explains the ritual you will see everywhere from the souks of Marrakech to the tents of the Sahara, and shows you how to make it at home.

A short history of tea in Morocco

Tea is not native to Morocco. Green tea from China reached the country through trade with Europe, and its use spread widely from the nineteenth century onwards. Moroccans combined Chinese gunpowder green tea with fresh mint, which grows abundantly in the country, and a generous amount of sugar. The result became a national drink, served from the royal court to the most remote villages.

Over time, regions developed their own touches. In some areas wormwood (chiba) is added in winter, in others sage, verbena or orange blossom. In the south and the Sahara, tea is often prepared on a small fire or charcoal stove, and it is strong, sweet and frothy.

The ingredients

A classic Moroccan mint tea needs only four things:

• Chinese gunpowder green tea, small rolled pellets of green tea leaves

• Fresh spearmint, in generous bunches

• Sugar, traditionally broken from a large sugar cone

• Boiling water

The quality of the mint makes a big difference. In markets you will see sellers with huge bundles of fresh mint, and Moroccans are particular about choosing it.

The ritual: how tea is prepared

Making tea is often the job of the host or the eldest man in the family, and in desert camps it is usually done by a guide or camp staff member, with great care.

1. Rinsing the tea. A small amount of green tea is placed in the teapot, and a little boiling water is poured over it and swirled. This first water, sometimes called the "spirit" of the tea, is kept aside in a glass. A second rinse removes some of the bitterness and is thrown away.

2. Adding mint and sugar. Fresh mint and sugar are pressed into the pot, the reserved "spirit" is poured back in and the pot is filled with boiling water.

3. Brewing on the heat. The teapot is often placed on the flame for a few minutes until it just starts to boil.

4. Mixing by pouring. The host pours a glass and pours it back into the pot several times to mix the sugar and the tea without stirring.

5. Tasting and serving. The host tastes, adjusts and then serves.

Why the tea is poured from a height

The most striking part of the ritual is the pour: the teapot is lifted high above the small glass, and a long, thin stream of tea falls into it without spilling. This is not just for show. Pouring from a height cools the tea slightly, mixes it and creates a light froth on top, called the "turban" or crown. A good froth is a sign of well-made tea and a skilled host.

The three glasses

Tea is usually served in three rounds from the same pot, and a Moroccan saying describes them:

The first glass is gentle like life, the second is strong like love, the third is bitter like death.

Each round tastes different, as the tea steeps longer and the mint and sugar change. It is polite to accept at least the first glass, and many guests stay for all three. Refusing tea entirely can seem a little cold, although nobody will be offended if you politely say you have had enough.

Tea etiquette for visitors

• Accept the offer. When a shopkeeper or host offers tea, it is a gesture of welcome, not an obligation to buy.

• Hold the glass carefully. The glasses are small and hot; hold them by the rim and the base.

• Take your time. Tea is about conversation, not speed.

• Say thank you. "Shukran" (thank you) is always appreciated, and complimenting the tea is a nice touch.

• Ask for less sugar if you prefer. Moroccan tea is traditionally very sweet. In many places you can ask for "shwiya sukkar" (a little sugar) or no sugar at all.

Tea in the Sahara

There is something special about mint tea in the desert. After the camel ride, when you arrive at camp as the sun goes down, a guide prepares tea on the sand, pouring it from a height while the dunes turn orange around you. In nomad families, tea is offered to every visitor, and it is part of the rhythm of the day, with several rounds in the morning, after lunch and in the evening.

If you would like to experience this, a night with a nomad family in a traditional Berber camp or an overnight camel trek in Merzouga is the perfect setting.

How to make Moroccan mint tea at home

What you need

• A teapot that can go on the stove (a metal Moroccan teapot is ideal, but any small pot works)

• 1 tablespoon of Chinese gunpowder green tea

• A large handful of fresh spearmint (about 15 to 20 sprigs)

• 3 to 5 tablespoons of sugar, to taste

• About 750 ml of boiling water

• Small heat-resistant glasses

Method

1. Put the green tea in the teapot. Add about 100 ml of boiling water, swirl for a few seconds and pour this first infusion into a glass. Keep it.

2. Add another 100 ml of boiling water, swirl and throw it away. This rinses the tea and removes some bitterness.

3. Pour the reserved first infusion back into the pot.

4. Add the mint, pressing it gently into the pot, and add the sugar.

5. Fill the pot with the remaining boiling water.

6. Place the pot on a low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until it just begins to boil.

7. Pour a glass and pour it back into the pot. Repeat two or three times to mix.

8. Serve by pouring from as high as you can comfortably manage to create froth.

Variations

• Winter tea: add a sprig of dried wormwood or sage.

• Light version: reduce the sugar, or add it at the table.

• Herbal tea without caffeine: use only fresh mint and verbena, without green tea.

The tools: teapots, glasses and trays

The tea set is almost as important as the tea itself, and it is often one of the most beautiful objects in a Moroccan home.

• The teapot (berrad): traditionally made of metal, often silver-plated or engraved, with a long curved spout designed for pouring from a height. Its round belly can sit directly on the flame.

• The glasses: small, decorated glasses, sometimes painted with gold or coloured patterns. Their small size keeps the tea hot and makes it easy to serve many rounds.

• The tray (siniya): a round metal tray, often engraved, on which the teapot and glasses are presented.

• The boxes: small metal containers for the tea leaves and the sugar, sometimes with a separate box for the mint.

In wealthier homes and for special occasions, the full set is brought out on a low table, and preparing the tea in front of the guests is part of the welcome.

What Moroccans eat with tea

Tea is rarely served alone. Depending on the time of day you may be offered:

• Msemen and baghrir: flaky square pancakes and spongy semolina pancakes, served with butter and honey at breakfast or in the afternoon

• Ghriba: crumbly cookies, often with almonds or coconut

• Kaab el ghazal: "gazelle horns", crescent-shaped pastries filled with almond paste

• Chebakia: flower-shaped pastries fried and soaked in honey, especially popular during Ramadan

• Bread, olive oil and olives: the simplest and most traditional accompaniment, especially in the countryside

• Dates and nuts: common in the south and the Sahara

If you visit a family or a nomad camp, the tea will usually come with bread, olive oil or dates, and it is polite to taste a little of everything offered.

Where to experience the tea ritual

You will drink mint tea almost everywhere in Morocco, but a few settings make it unforgettable:

• In a riad courtyard on your first day, as a welcome after the journey

• In the souks, when a carpet or spice seller invites you to sit down while you look at their goods

• In a Berber village in the High Atlas, where families often welcome visitors with tea and bread

• In the desert, prepared on the sand or around the fire at sunset

Bringing tea home as a souvenir

A Moroccan teapot and a set of glasses make beautiful souvenirs. In the souks of Marrakech and Fes you will find teapots in every price range, from simple aluminium to finely engraved silver-plated pots. Check that the handle is solid and the lid fits well, and bargain politely. Green gunpowder tea is easy to buy in any Moroccan grocery.

Frequently asked questions

Is Moroccan mint tea caffeinated?

Yes. It is made with green tea, which contains caffeine, although the amount per glass is moderate.

Why is Moroccan tea so sweet?

Sugar has long been a sign of generosity and hospitality in Morocco. Traditional tea is very sweet, but you can always ask for less sugar.

What is the froth on top of the tea?

It is created by pouring the tea from a height. A good layer of froth is seen as a sign of well-prepared tea.

Is it rude to refuse tea in Morocco?

It is polite to accept at least one glass when it is offered. If you do not want more, a smile and "shukran" are enough.

Taste Morocco on the road

From the first welcome in your riad to the last glass by the fire in the Sahara, mint tea will follow you everywhere in Morocco. On our private tours, your driver and our partner camps will share this ritual with you, often more times a day than you can count. Explore our desert trips from Marrakech and let the ritual begin.