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2 min.

In my posts on Morocco, I have repeatedly spoken of long negotiations with the merchants of the souks, always strictly sipping the traditional Moroccan mint tea served in small rabat, the tiny decorated glasses. It is a tradition that means hospitality and indicates friendliness and respect for the other party. Usually, mint tea is prepared and served by the head of the family and always by a man.

L'ospitalità in Marocco è il tè alla menta

The ingredients for a delicious mint tea

For two people (or six rabats)

  • 1 teaspoon of Chinese green tea, the gunpowder (I keep it in a cinnamon wood box to spice it)
  • 1 bouquet of fresh mint
  • 4 teaspoons of sugar
  • half liter of water

Traditionally they use a silver teapot or an enameled one like the one I use.

L'ospitalità in Marocco è il tè alla menta

The preparation of the mint tea

Put the tea into the pot and boil water separately. Pour a bit of water on the tea, just enough to cover its leaves, and leave for about a minute for it to lose the bitterness and then throw away the water. Cover then the tea leaves with the mint (no stems) and pour the boiling water. Finally, add the sugar and start stirring. To do that, you do not use spoons, though! Pour the tea into a glass and then back into the teapot three times 😉

If you have been to Morocco or a typical restaurant, you may have noticed that the mint tea is served with sweeping gestures, pouring it from above so that it forms a thin layer of foam on top of the rabat. Tellement chic…

L'ospitalità in Marocco è il tè alla menta

In Marrakesh and Essaouira, I sipped it accompanied by delicious and ultra caloric Moroccan pastries in almond paste, made with honey and dried fruit. In Ouarzazate, instead, they served me the tea with Berber bread, a sort of Arabic unleavened bread mixed with mint leaves.

When I prepare it at home, to compensate for the lack of calories given by the typical pastries while adding sugar, I also put a handful of pine nuts, but that’s part of the Tunisian tradition… Try and tell me which version you prefer.

Oh, as stated listing the ingredients, you need to drink three glasses. The escalation in the flavor goes along with that in negotiations 😉

“Le premier verre est aussi doux que la vie. Le deuxième est aussi fort que l’amour. Le troisième est aussi amer que la mort”

Touareg saying

Silvia's Trips

Hi there! My name is Silvia and after 15 years between the Paris Opera and the Palau de les Arts in Valencia I now run a boutique hotel in Cinque Terre, deal with tourism management and blogging, sail, horse-ride, play guitar and write about my solo trips around the world. For more info about me and my travel blog check my full bio.

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