Moroccan Mint Tea

Learn how to make Moroccan mint tea, one of the nations most popular beverages made with fresh mint, gunpowder tea and sugar. It’s a staple in our cuisine and culture, often poured from impressively high heights and served sweet nut-based sweets.

If you’ve ever had the chance to visit Morocco, or eat at a Moroccan household or restaurant, you’ve likely tried this version of mint tea. It’s a staple in Moroccan cuisine and culture.

I’m sure that this recipe means something slightly different to every Moroccan you ask. For my family it came after trips to the beach, paired with freshly fried donuts (sfenj). Other times it meant welcoming in family from out of town or friends from another neighborhood. When there were guests, there was always mint tea. 

It’s a ritual that many Moroccans like my dad take great pride in. Often poured from impressively high heights, this tea is much more than just a drink.

My grandmother and aunt usually had a tray of Moroccan pastries and cookies (usually halwa chebakia or almond briouat) to go with the tea when we arrived from a long trip. In the mornings the tea was served again but instead alongside coffee, Moroccan pancakes, honey and dried meat. 

We drank tea even on the hottest of summer days. Piping hot, with lots of fresh mint and sugar. 

If you enjoy this traditional tea recipe, make sure to check out this lemon verbena tea and this recipe for Moroccan coffee.

Ingredients

Made with fresh mint leaves and gunpowder tea, this refreshing drink is easy to make and enjoy as an afternoon pick-me-up, and as a warm welcome when guests come to visit. It can be sweetened in the pot or served with sugar cubes.

Here’s what you’ll need to make a pot of Moroccan mint tea:

• A generous bundle of fresh mint leaves 
• Gunpowder tea 
• Sugar or sugar cubes (optional) 

Gunpowder is a type of Chinese green tea that is a bit more concentrated in caffeine and resembles small rolled up leaves. 

Aside from that, all you’ll need is the water from your sink and a tea kettle to heat things up. 

How to make it

In Morocco, tea is much more than just a drink. This mint tea specifically is one that brings people together socially.

When my dad came to the US he developed his own new traditions with this recipe. He wasn’t crazy about adding sugar to anything, so he quickly left that ingredient out of his own version. Aside from that, his recipe was pretty much the same as the one my grandmother made for us on our visits all of those summers during my childhood and adolescence. 

My father made this tea every single morning until his last, as a way to welcome the day. 

This recipe, along with most of my recipes is a tribute to my dad and how he always took the time to enjoy life. Every morning started with a cup of mint tea and a smile on his face. 

Small & large bites to go with your tea

Here are some of my favorite Moroccan recipes to enjoy with this tea:

Bismillah,

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