Moroccan Tea
Drinking Moroccan tea with others is an opportunity to observe…
…and participate in an essential element of Moroccan culture. A glass of wine with supper is a necessity for the Italians. In the United States, sitting in the backyard with a drink in hand is a fantastic way to unwind and catch up. Participating in a coffee brewing ritual is a means of being welcomed into your host’s inner circle in Ethiopia.
Drinking Tea Culture In Morocco
If you ask any Moroccan how many cups of tea they drink each day, you might be shocked by the answer. It might be as few as three, or as many as 10! The first thing a Moroccan will do when you arrive at their home is start brewing tea. A cup of tea and a slice of bread smeared with olive oil may be a normal breakfast. Tea is offered after lunch, early evening during “snack” time, and perhaps later in the evening before bedtime.
Of course, if someone comes by, the host will boil an extra pot for them to share, if there isn’t already one brewing. Tea consumption increases when the temperature drops in the winter months, and it’s not uncommon to see teapots being nursed on burners all day. However, the Moroccan tea process entails more than just heating water and dipping tea bags. No way, no how. Making Moroccan tea is an art and a talent that takes time to master.
Green tea, especially Chinese gunpowder tea, is the most common form of tea offered in Morocco. It’s made using fresh mint and a lot of sugar. The amount of sugar will vary depending on where you live; people in the South like to drink considerably sweeter tea. You may order Moroccan tea without sugar, but be prepared for odd glances. You may also realize that it simply does not taste as delicious without a little sugar thrown in. It’s up to you how you take your tea, but Moroccan tea is usually given with sugar brewed in it, so if you don’t want any, make sure to express your preference ahead of time.
Making Moroccan Tea
Moroccan tea is made by simply pouring water and loose tea leaves into a tea pot. The kettle is placed on a gas burner until it reaches a boil. After that, fresh mint and sugar are packed into the kettle and steeped for roughly five minutes. Some people re-heat the water while the mint and sugar soak, while others like to leave it alone. The ceremony begins once the first glass is poured and the steeping is completed.
If you participate in Moroccan tea time, you will most likely note two things: the tea is poured from a very high up position, and an additional glass is poured as well. There are several legends that explain these customs. According to one account, in order to judge how delicious the tea is, it must be poured from a height high enough to generate foam at the top of the glass. If there is no froth, the tea is contaminated and you should start anew.
There are different types of tea in Morocco
Green tea is the most popular type of tea in Morocco, but there are many other types. Tea can be used for quenching your thirst, as well as having some health benefits. Different herbs and mints are used to treat different symptoms. Tea made from a variety of herbs in order to ward off illnesses is a common practice during the winter months.
Berber tea is a unique sort of tea that combines herbs such as wild thyme, mint, lemongrass, geranium, sage, verbena, wormwood, and occasionally even additional components such as dried flowers. What is added to Berber tea depends on the season and what is available. Because the tea is inherently sweet, adding sugar isn’t essential, but it’s commonly done. Herb steeping goes beyond Berber tea, and it’s also usual to replace various sorts of herbs for the mint in traditional Moroccan tea.
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