How to Make Your Own Moroccan Tea

While the origins of Moroccan tea are disputed, with some giving credit to Queen Victoria and other to Umayyad-period Arabs, the drink has nevertheless become a mainstay in daily Moroccan culture. Whether at a social gathering, café, or kaskrout, the Moroccan pre-dinner teatime, Moroccans and visitors alike will have ample exposure to the country’s pervasive tea culture. Anyone staying in Morocco for an extended period of time, then, should learn how to prepare their own Moroccan tea!

This week, many of our students learned how to do just that, so I have included pictures illustrating some of the preparation steps.

The ingredients are fairly simple and readily available at any nearby hanout or market. The tea leaves, generally gunpowder grade green tea, come in several popular brands, but my favorites are Sbo3a and Sultan. Mandatory for any Maghrebi mint tea is, naturally, mint (and be sure to get plenty!). Finally, depending on your preferences, sugar and any variety of local herbs.

1. To prepare the tea, begin by rinsing the tea leaves (and any herbs you may have) in water.
2. At the same time, begin to heat water in a tea kettle.
3. Place the rinsed tea leaves and herbs in a barad, the traditional Moroccan teapot. Add sugar and mint as desired.
4. Once the water has come to a boil, pour it into the barad. Then, place the barad on the stove and wait for the tea to come to a boil.
5. When the tea comes to a boil, remove the barad from the stove and place it on a tea tray with teacups.
6. Bring the tray from the kitchen to any family or guests that are sharing in the tea. In front of the guests, pour the tea into a cup and then return the tea to the barad. Repeat this step one or two more times to ensure the tea is mixed properly.
7. Pour the tea into the assorted cups, raising the barad high above the cups to achieve the foaming effect at the top of the cup.
8. Finally, enjoy with your favorite assortment of Moroccan sweats and pastries!

Note: While I learned this method from a Moroccan, every Moroccan I have met has a slightly different way of preparing tea. Most notably, in the northern part of Morocco, people will often avoid adding mint until the end of the process, where the tea is poured into a cup containing a stalk of mint.

Author: Charlie Johnson