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, and the reason is simple. In order to make authentic Moroccan mint tea, you will need to use a special tea type, a kettle with some minimum requirements, all while following a specific (yet simple) technique.

Making authentic Moroccan mint tea is neither complicated or expensive. In fact, you will only need 3 ingredients and less than 10 minutes to prepare it. 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. This tea is also associated with happy moments, as it is usually the first thing prepared to welcome guests. In my memories, the smell of this sweet aromatic tea announces happy family gatherings, where everyone chills, catches up and connects.

In Morocco, back in the days, it was the family head male who usually would be in charge of Moroccan mint tea preparation. Now things have changed a little bit 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 herbs and spices as I will show you below, to give it a more interesting flavor and some health benefits. Another important thing is to choose the right teapot.

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.

Choosing The Right 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 as it is so much affordable there. And whenever I run out, I purchase some online. Not all brands are equal, so I will share with you in the Recipe card below the Chinese brand I purchase online, which makes perfect Moroccan mint tea.

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 and air-tight glass jar and you’re good to go.

3. Perfuming your Mint Tea with Herbs & Spices (optional)

Moroccan people love perfuming their Moroccan mint tea. While the basic Moroccan mint tea is a go-to drink for every day, Moroccans love to add few herbs & spices depending on the occasion. For example, during happy occasions like marriages and baby showers, 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 not only will be good for the flavor, but you can get the best health benefits from natural organic brands. It is also a great investment as you can add it to basically most of your sweet doughs and homemade desserts. 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. Just make sure the Moroccan teapot you choose meets all the requirements.

If you don’t have time to browse the internet (I feel you!), this beautiful Morocco-imported teapot is really of good quality, at a price that is similar to price ranges in Morocco.

If you are looking for an artisanal and affordable teapot, I also recommend checking our platform Little Moroccan Things, where we feature from time to time high-quality imported teapots ranging from $30 to $80. We mostly work with Moroccan artisans who handcraft each product, so our stock is often limited. But if you join Little Moroccan Things newsletter, you’ll get the updates before anyone else.

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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