Touareg Mint Green Tea
Bright mint, clean green tea and a brisk finish: the Sahara's three-glass tea, poured high for foam.
Tuareg tea is the tea of the Sahara: gunpowder green tea, fresh mint and sugar, brewed in a small pot and served in three rounds of small glasses poured from a height.
Sensory profile
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 36 mg in one serving (8 oz cup (240ml)), a concentration of 15 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.
Editorial estimate, not a laboratory measurement
Related gear
| Brewing method | Stovetop Teapot |
|---|---|
| Brew ratio | 1:80 |
| Dose & yield | 3g → 250g |
| Grind size | Gunpowder Pellets |
| Water temperature | 212°F / 100°C |
| Target brew time | 3:00-4:00 |
| Serving | 8 oz cup (240ml) |
What you need
- 3 g gunpowder green tea, about 1 level teaspoon
- 2 or 3 sprigs of fresh mint, about 8 g
- 2 to 3 teaspoons of sugar, or to taste
- 250 g water, plus a splash of boiling water to rinse the tea
Required gear
- Small stovetop teapot or heatproof pot
- Kettle
- Three small tea glasses
- Scale accurate to 0.1 g
- Timer
Step-by-step protocol
- 0:00Put 3 g of gunpowder tea in the pot. Pour on a splash of boiling water, about 50 g, swirl for 30 seconds to a minute and pour the water away.
- 1:00Twist the mint to bruise it and add it to the pot with the sugar.
- 1:15Pour 250 g of boiling water over the tea and mint, cover, and let it steep for about 3 minutes.
- 4:15Pour a little tea into a glass from a foot or two above it and tip it back into the pot, three or four times. This cools the tea, mixes the sugar and raises the foam.
- 4:45Pour the first small glass, about 80 ml, with the foam on top.
- 6:45Let the pot steep for two more minutes and pour the second glass.
- 8:45Steep for two more minutes and pour the third glass. The same leaves give all three, and the flavor changes as the tea steeps.
Troubleshooting
What it may be good for
A number worth knowing
We list about 36 mg for an 8 oz serving, poured as three small glasses from 3 g of gunpowder green tea. Boiling water and a long steep, as in the traditional method, can carry more, and the figure moves with how much tea you use and how long it steeps.
Pour high, pour back
Pouring the tea from a foot or so above the glass, and back into the pot, cools it, mixes the sugar and builds the foam. Do it three or four times before the first glass is served.
What to watch out for
- Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you.
- Traditional mint tea is made quite sweet, so use less sugar if you prefer.
Tuareg tea is the tea of the Sahara: gunpowder green tea, fresh mint and sugar, brewed in a small pot and served in three rounds of small glasses poured from a height. It is brisk and aromatic, with fresh spearmint, the bite of green tea and plenty of sugar. Brewed in a stovetop teapot.
Origin & Story
Tuareg tea belongs to the people of the Sahara, in particular the Tuareg of Algeria, Libya, Niger and Mali, and its ritual centers on three glasses poured from the same pot. The flavor changes from glass to glass as the tea steeps, and each glass has been given a meaning.
It belongs to the same tradition as Moroccan atay. Gunpowder green tea reached North African and Saharan communities through trade, and the Tuareg turned tea drinking into a ritual of their own: the tea is brewed in a small pot, with fresh mint and sugar, served in small glasses, and poured from a foot or two above the glass, which cools the tea, mixes the sugar and raises a foam that crowns each glass.
A proverb gives the three glasses a meaning, comparing them to life, love and death, though it is told in several versions, and in some the order of bitter and sweet is reversed.
The first thing you notice is the mint, bright and cooling, then the green tea beneath it, strong in the first glass and sweeter by the third. For one pot, rinse 3 g of gunpowder tea, add mint and sugar, pour on boiling water, and pour the first small glass after about three minutes. Pour the next two from the same pot as it steeps.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 74/100 |
| Acidity | 30/100 |
| Bitterness | 24/100 |
| Body | 46/100 |
| Aroma | 98/100 |
These values are comparative editorial positions within our own catalog, calibrated so entries can be ranked against each other. They are not laboratory measurements.
How much caffeine is in Touareg Mint Green Tea?
One serving, 8 oz cup (240ml), contains approximately 36 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for Touareg Mint Green Tea?
Target 100°C (212°F).
How long should Touareg Mint Green Tea be extracted?
Timing: 3:00-4:00. Method: Stovetop Teapot. Ratio: 12g/L (3g leaves to 240g water). Grind or leaf format: Gunpowder Pellets.
Who are the Tuareg?
The Tuareg are a people of the Sahara, living in Algeria, Libya, Niger and Mali among other places. Their tea ritual is part of the wider North African tradition of mint tea.
Why are there three glasses?
The same pot is poured three times, and the tea changes as it steeps. A proverb compares the glasses to life, love and death, and it is told in several versions.
Who should avoid Touareg Mint Green Tea?
Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you. Traditional mint tea is made quite sweet, so use less sugar if you prefer. This information is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, managing a cardiac or gastrointestinal condition, or taking prescription medication, discuss caffeine and botanical intake with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes.
What people say
Borosilicate Glass Teapot with Infuser
In this recipe: Small stovetop teapot or heatproof pot
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