Moroccan Mint Green Tea
Fresh mint, gunpowder green tea and sugar, poured from a height: Morocco's glass of welcome.
Moroccan mint tea, atay, is gunpowder green tea brewed with fresh spearmint and sugar, then poured from a height into small glasses so that it foams. It is the drink of welcome across Morocco and the Maghreb.
Sensory profile
You should taste
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 38 mg in one serving (8 oz cup (240ml)), a concentration of 15.8 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 | 4:00-5:00 |
| Serving | 8 oz cup (240ml) |
What you need
- 3 g gunpowder green tea, about 1 level teaspoon
- 2 or 3 sprigs of fresh spearmint, 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
- Small tea glass
- 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. This is the traditional rinse.
- 1:00Twist the mint sprigs to bruise them and add them to the pot with the sugar.
- 1:15Pour 250 g of boiling water over the tea and mint, cover, and let it steep for 4 to 5 minutes.
- 6:15Pour a glass, return it to the pot, and repeat three or four times, pouring from about a foot above the glass. This mixes the sugar and builds the foam.
- 6:45Serve in small glasses, again pouring from a height so that the foam sits on top. At least three glasses are traditionally served.
Troubleshooting
What it may be good for
The caffeine count
We list about 38 mg for an 8 oz cup made with 3 g of gunpowder green tea. Boiling water and a long steep, as in the traditional method, can carry more, and a traditional glass is small, so several glasses add up.
Rinse, then brew
Rinse the gunpowder leaf with a splash of boiling water and pour that away. It is the traditional first step, and it leaves the mint and sugar to do their work in a cleaner brew.
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.
Moroccan mint tea, atay, is gunpowder green tea brewed with fresh spearmint and sugar, then poured from a height into small glasses so that it foams. It is the drink of welcome across Morocco and the Maghreb. Brewed with boiling water in a small teapot.
Origin & Story
In Morocco tea is less a drink than a gesture. When a guest arrives, the tea comes: green tea, fresh mint and sugar, brewed in a small pot and poured into glasses. It is traditionally made by the head male of the family and offered to guests as a sign of hospitality, and at least three glasses are usually served.
The tea is gunpowder green tea, with the leaves rolled into tight pellets, and the mint is usually spearmint, called nana in Arabic, with a clear, pungent, mild aroma. The tea is rinsed first, then brewed with boiling water, mint and sugar, and the sweetness is part of its character.
Tea came to the Maghreb through the British. Gunpowder tea was introduced to North Africa by the British in the 18th and 19th centuries, and during the Crimean War, when British merchants lost their Baltic market, tea was diverted to Morocco. Imports are said to have quadrupled in the twenty years after the 1856 Anglo-Moroccan treaty.
The pour is part of the performance. The tea is poured into the glass from high above, which swirls the loose leaves to the bottom and gently aerates the tea, improving its flavor and raising a layer of foam, and it is returned to the pot a few times to mix in the sugar. A proverb compares the three glasses to life, love and death, and it is told in several versions.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 76/100 |
| Acidity | 26/100 |
| Bitterness | 22/100 |
| Body | 48/100 |
| Aroma | 96/100 |
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 Moroccan Mint Green Tea?
One serving, 8 oz cup (240ml), contains approximately 38 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for Moroccan Mint Green Tea?
Target 100°C (212°F).
How long should Moroccan Mint Green Tea be extracted?
Timing: 4:00-5:00. Method: Stovetop Teapot. Ratio: 12g/L (3g leaves to 240g water). Grind or leaf format: Gunpowder Pellets.
Why is Moroccan mint tea poured from a height?
The high pour swirls the loose leaves to the bottom of the glass and gently aerates the tea, which improves its flavor and gives the glass a layer of foam. The tea is also poured back into the pot a few times to mix in the sugar.
What tea is used in Moroccan mint tea?
Gunpowder green tea, with leaves rolled into tight pellets, brewed with fresh mint, usually spearmint, and sugar. The British introduced gunpowder tea to North Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Who should avoid Moroccan 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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