pour me a drink

How to make authentic Moroccan mint tea (Atay)

Marokkaanse muntthee

Moroccan mint tea, commonly known as ‘atay’, is a refreshing and aromatic drink that forms a very important part of Moroccan culture. It is a delicious combination of refreshing mint and an extremely sweet taste. Traditionally, Moroccan mint tea is made with green tea, fresh mint leaves and a generous amount of sugar. I’ll repeat that last part once more: a GENEROUS amount of sugar.

Foto van culinair journalist Selisa Moorlag

The tea is usually brewed in a special metal teapot and then served in small glasses. Drinking mint tea is a social ritual in Morocco, so the tea is often served during gatherings with friends and family, as a welcome drink for guests, or simply to relax after a long day.

Chinese Gunpowder

For Moroccan mint tea, – stay with me on this – Chinese Gunpowder is used: a green (unfermented) type of tea. The name comes from the rolled tea leaves, which resemble balls of gunpowder. When hot water is poured over them, they spring open. Chinese Gunpowder tea has a smoky flavour and is one of the best-known types of Chinese export tea. The green tea is, of course, available at every Moroccan or Turkish shop.

Sugar. Lots of sugar!

Just as essential as the green tea are the four tablespoons of sugar or more needed to make a delicious Moroccan mint tea. Preferably use chunks from a sugar cone, but those are difficult to find nowadays, so regular sugar is fine. If you still want to go completely traditional: a sugar cone is literally a 2-kilogram block of sugar in the shape of a cone, from which chunks are chopped with a hammer. And they were not small ones. Did I mention that real mint tea contains a generous amount of sugar?

And finally: of course, no mint tea without fresh mint. The bunches of mint you buy at a Moroccan or Turkish grocer
are not ordinary bunches of mint, but thick, abundant bouquets. They are vastly different from the five expensive sprigs you buy in a little pot at the supermarket. You can barely wrap your fingers around a bunch of Moroccan mint. Every now and then you may find some strange plants mixed in, but hey, that’s organic!

How to make Moroccan mint tea

  • Bring the water to a boil.
  • Add the green tea to a large teapot and pour one-third of the boiling water over it. Let it rest for one minute and pour some tea into a glass. Set this first glass aside for later use; it contains a lot of flavour.
  • Add another third of the boiling water to the teapot, swirl everything around and once again pour some tea into a glass. Pour this dark tea away. This step is intended to clean the tea.
  • Pour the first cup back into the teapot. Add the remaining boiling water to the teapot until it is three-quarters full.
  • Place the teapot on the stove and bring the tea to a boil again over low heat.
  • Remove the teapot from the heat and immediately add the mint leaves and sugar.
  • Mix all the ingredients by pouring the tea into a glass and then pouring it back into the teapot.
  • Serve immediately.

التجربة احسن مدرسة

When pouring, hold the teapot high above the glass. This is how you get the characteristic foam of Moroccan mint tea! Feel free to make a show of it: the higher, the more status and respect you get from me. Repeat this step two to three times.

Title: Ras el Hakim
Author: Hakim Chatar
Price: €27,99
Publisher: Lannoo

In the cookbook Ras el Hakim, Hakim Chatar invites you into his kitchen, where the essence of Moroccan and North African cooking blends with a touch of Flemish flair. From meatballs to fresh bread and warm almond cookies, with each recipe Hakim transforms a few simple ingredients into a feast to share with friends and family.

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