Moroccan Mint Tea Recipe & Ceremony

Authentic Moroccan mint tea recipe is really hard to find. If you made some research on Google, you probably found hundreds of recipes that claim to be authentic and traditional. Unfortunately, most of them are not.

In order to make authentic Moroccan mint tea, you will need to use the right tea leaves, a kettle with a few characteristics, all while following a specific technique. It might look complicated but it’s really not.

In fact, making authentic Moroccan mint tea is neither complicated nor expensive. All it takes is 3 ingredients and less than 10 minutes of preparation. Once you make it to your friends, I can assure they will long for your invitations, as your mint tea will taste like being on vacation in Morocco.

While growing up in Morocco, Moroccan mint tea was part of my everyday life. Like the majority of Moroccans, I associate this tea with happy moments as it is the first thing prepared to welcome guests. In my memories, the smell of this sweet aromatic tea announces family gatherings where everyone chills, catches up and connects.

In Morocco many decades ago, the family head male was the person in charge of making Moroccan mint tea. Now things have slightly changed and women are mostly the ones in charge of making it.

This being said, on special occasions and in some traditional Moroccan families, Moroccan mint tea is still men’s specialty, and they prepare it following a definite ceremony. They would bring all the ingredients and equipment to the living room and chat with the guests while preparing tea with great finesse. At least three glasses will be served, each one stronger than the previous one as tea continues infusing. A saying in Morocco states that the first glass of Moroccan mint tea is as soft as life, the second as strong as love, and the last as bitter as death.

Pouring Moroccan mint tea is an important part of the tea ceremony: the higher the tea is poured, the more mousse you will get on top of your drink, the closer it will be to authentic Moroccan mint tea experience.

How to make Moroccan Mint Tea?

To make Moroccan mint tea, you need to use Chinese green Gunpowder loose tea, a generous bunch of fresh mint leaves and sugar. You can also flavor your tea with some aromatics as I will show you below to give it a more interesting flavor and some health benefits. Choosing the right kettle or teapot is also primordial to make real Moroccan mint tea.

Authentic Moroccan mint tea is very sweet, but you can adjust sugar quantity to match your taste and diet. Personally, I tend to cut sugar quantity by half, sometimes more, and leave the classic sweet version to special occasions or when I have sweet cravings.

Moroccan Mint Tea Ingredients

1. Best Tea to Make Moroccan Mint Tea

To make authentic Moroccan mint tea, not every green tea will work. In Morocco, the tea used is the Chinese green gunpowder loose tea.

Whenever I go to Morocco I make sure I buy a few boxes of this tea as it is so much affordable there. And whenever I run out, I purchase some online. Not all brands are equal so make sure you choose good quality, non-radiated green gunpowder tea. I’ll add some of my favorite brands in the recipe card below.

2. The Best Mint for Moroccan Tea

Mint is the second most important ingredient when making Moroccan mint tea. I recommend using fresh mint branches to get a strong flavor. Just don’t forget to wash the brunches thoroughly before use. Moroccan people use a generous quantity of mint and sometimes, they have to bend the branches and squeeze them to make them enter in the teapot. That’s how you get the strong minty flavor in Moroccan mint tea.

Traditional Moroccan mint tea is made with Spearmint, also called Nana Mint. This mint variety brings a little sweetness and a strong flavor. If you can’t find Spearmint in your local store, no worries, you can use other mint varieties and your Moroccan mint tea will still be delicious!

I grow Spearmint in my apartment in small pots, that way I have fresh mint leaves handy. It also decorates and perfumes the kitchen beautifully. If you want to give it a try, these are the seeds I use. Fresh Mint leaves can be expensive so it’s totally a great deal.

You can also dry fresh mint leaves in the microwave, that way you never run out. Just store the dried mint leaves in a perfectly dry glass jar and you’re good to go for months.

3. Perfuming your Mint Tea with Aromatics

Moroccans love perfuming their Moroccan mint tea. While the basic Moroccan mint tea is a go-to drink for every day, they like to add aromatics on special occasions or to get some health benefits.

For example, during happy occasions like marriages, Moroccans perfume their mint tea with orange blossom water, known for having great relaxing benefits and aphrodisiac properties. Whereas in the cold season, Moroccans add to their mint tea some herbs known for their warming properties, like Pennyroyal mint and absinthe.

Orange blossom water is my favorite flavor to add to Moroccan mint tea. If you want to give it a try, I would recommend using a good quality orange blossom water. This will not only be good for the flavor, but you can get the best health benefits from natural organic brands. Orange blossom water is also a great investment as you can use it to flavor your pancakes, cakes, creams, and deserts. Try it and you will be hooked!

The Best Teapot for Making Moroccan Mint Tea

To make traditional Moroccan mint tea, you will need either a Moroccan teapot or a heat-resistant teapot. The reason is simple: Moroccan mint tea is prepared by active infusion, which means tea leaves infuse in boiling water for many minutes. A regular teapot cannot support the stove hot temperatures and can break. I learned the hard way and lost some beautiful teapots in the process. So make sure your teapot is heat-resistant.

If that is not the case, I recommend looking for a good quality Moroccan teapot. Moroccan teapots are a great investment for many reasons. In addition to being perfect for making Moroccan mint tea, they can be used for making any other teas, infusions, and even to serve wine and other beverages. If you want to learn more about Moroccan teapots, check my Moroccan teapots buying guide.

For an affordable artisanal teapot, I recommend checking our platform Little Moroccan Things, where we feature high-quality imported teapots ranging from $40 to $80. We mostly work with Moroccan artisans who handcraft each product, so you get a unique piece with a very good value for money.

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Print Recipe

Authentic Moroccan Mint Tea Recipe

The real, authentic Moroccan mint tea recipe. 

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Appetizer, Drinks

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Moroccan

Keyword: Moroccan mint tea

Servings: 4

Calories: 23kcal

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Organic Chinese Green Gunpowder tea leaves
• 5 branches fresh mint
• 3 cups water
• 2 tbsp white sugar (adjust to taste and diet)
• 1 tsp orange blossom water (optional)

Instructions

• Put green tea leaves in the teapot (a Moroccan teapot or a heat-resistant teapot)
• Boil water then add 1 cup of the boiling water to the teapot
• Swish it around to clean the tea leaves to get rid of the strong and sour tea aroma. Pour water in the sink
• Add the remaining hot water to your teapot and tea leaves
• Add the sugar and place the teapot on the stove on medium heat. Let it boil for 1 to 3 minutes depending on how strong you like your tea
• Add the fresh mint branches and make sure they are all covered with water, otherwise, they will turn black and will leave your tea with a bitter taste
• Let everything boil for another 2 to 3 minutes, until liquid starts foaming slightly
• Turn down immediately and take aside. If you are using a Moroccan teapot, be careful as it can get extremely hot. Make sure you wrap the handle with a cotton cloth
• Add the orange blossom water
• Serve hot with some pastries, almonds or biscuits