The world that we live in is huge. Yet, human beings have managed to establish love and connection with people all around the globe. What helps us in this process is our ability to connect with each other through many different mediums. Those mediums can be dance, music, food, and not to forget – tea! The most special tea gaining popularity across the world is Morrocan tea.
Before we finally steep all our ingredients together, we would like to introduce you to the mere idea of the Moroccan mint tea tradition.
Morocco has an amazing tea tradition. The tradition has many spheres to it. Moreover, the basic idea of brewing tea in a Moroccan household is their unique way of serving tea. The first thing that you would witness in a traditional Moroccan household is the kettle. Moroccans love drinking tea, and you will know it for sure after asking a local about the count of cups of tea they gulp in a day. They prefer drinking tea before, after and during their meals. Usually, breakfast consists of bread baked in olive oil and of course, a piping hot glass of tea.
When we are talking about the Moroccan tea, you must know that it is not just a ‘basic’ tea that is made by dipping regular tea bags. Moroccan tea is a “work of art.” From the preparation to the heavenly sweet taste to the serving tactics, and to the beautiful Moroccan tea glasses, everything is a complete work of art! An art that cannot be mastered by everyone. Now, hold your Moroccan tea glasses firmly to save yourself from spilling this art away as we are opening up many secrets for you.
Table of Contents
What Is Moroccan Tea Culture?
The Moroccan tea tradition is fascinating to sight and taste. The tradition of preparing tea takes place in front of the guests. The host or hostesses begins with keeping together all the ingredients and rinsing the kettle with boiling water. Moreover, the tea time in Moroccan tradition is a longer affair.
Therefore, there are two kettles for steeping tea. The tea used is green tea, more specifically, Chinese green tea (gunpowder tea) along with other herbs. These herbs are altered based on the weather and the mood. However, mint is the basic and most commonly used herb in the Moroccan tea. In times when the temperature decreases, it is replaced with something warm like wormwood (Chiba).
The final preparation of Moroccan tea begins with boiling the green tea or gunpowder tea in water and let it steep for fifteen minutes. Then, the boiled tea is filtered into a teapot, and sugar is added. It is said that mint (or the herb of your choice) is added at the final step of serving.
Let us move on to the interesting part, that is, the serving.
Moroccan tea is served with some excellent skills. The tea is poured from a height of 12 inches or more. This is done to have froth and bubbles on the top. If no bubbles and froth are found in the tea, it is not considered ready to be served. Therefore, it is poured back in the pot. The next thing is that the glasses they serve in are made in a beautiful way to enhance the taste. Also, the place for the tea party is decorated with aesthetic Moroccan home decor items.
What Makes Moroccan Tea Culture Special?
Moroccan tea glasses usually get too hot when the tea is poured in it, and you sip and enjoy the tea when it’s piping hot. You will need to handle the hot Moroccan tea glass with care, which will be your second win; the first one remains to help to prepare the tea. When you sip in all the tea, get ready for another serving since that is a part of the tradition and you cannot deny it. When you think it is the ending of your tea time, just wave your hand over the Moroccan tea glass and say “Safi, Baraka” (thanks, I am done).
All these little details make the entire tea time in Morocco unique and refreshing. For Moroccans, tea is a way of living, and through it, they establish connections. They only invite people they love and want to spend their precious time with.
Hope you sip in some Morocco tea now, Safi, Baraka!
