Known as atay, Maghrebi mint tea is a North African preparation of Chinese gunpowder green tea introduced via trade in the 19th century and central to social life across Morocco.
Bracingly sweet and cooling, with the grassy smokiness of gunpowder tea cut by a wave of bright, almost peppery mint. Each sip is hot and syrupy, leaving a clean, fragrant finish that lingers like the steam off the glass.
A quick rinse of the leaves washes away harsh tannins before steeping, while pouring from height aerates the tea, releasing aroma and building the prized foam. The high sugar balances the tea's bitterness and the mint's sharpness.
Variations
with added wormwood (sheeba) in winter, with verbena, with orange blossom water, with pine nuts, less-sweet modern versions
On the Palate
Where Maghrebi Mint Tea sits in the Moroccan flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
8 steps · 5 min
- 12 min
Rinse gunpowder green tea leaves with a splash of boiling water and discard that first water to remove bitterness.
Watch outRinse the leaves only a few seconds and dump that first water fast — leave it too long and you pour away the tea, not just the bitterness.
- 23 min
Add fresh boiling water to the teapot over the rinsed leaves and let the tea steep briefly.
- 31 min
Pack the pot generously with fresh spearmint sprigs, pushing them down into the liquid.
- 41 min
Add a generous amount of sugar to taste, traditionally quite sweet.
- 54 min
Set the pot over low heat and bring just to a gentle simmer to marry the flavors.
Watch outBring it just to the first tremble of bubbles at the edge — a full boil turns the mint bitter and stewy.
- 62 min
Pour a glass and return it to the pot two or three times to dissolve the sugar and mix the brew.
- 71 min
Pour into small glasses from a height to aerate the tea and form a foamy crown on top.
Watch outPour from high up in a thin stream — the higher the pour, the thicker the foamy crown that says it's done right.
- 81 min
Serve piping hot, traditionally in three rounds of increasing strength.
