Thank you to Sarah of WanderShopper for this fabulous guest post while I’m eating my way through Mozambique!
Sipping sweet mint tea has the power to transport you and yourfriends across the sea to the exotic destination of Morocco. One of the best parts of travel, real or imaginary, is being able to slow down and savor sweet moments of bliss in a foreign land. And sometimes, if you are lucky, you can easily recapture those idyllic times by recreating the flavors and ambiance with your friends. Today on WanderFood, let’s explore how you can easily host your own Moroccan Tea Party without ever leaving your home.
Wherever you may travel in Morocco, you are sure to encounter Moroccan mint tea. You will of course find it served at tea time in the late afternoon along with snacks to help tide you over until dinner is served late in the evening. You will also find it offered at breakfast and at the end of your other meals. As you explore the souks and markets many vendors will invite you to sit down and enjoy some tea while they show you an assortment of their rugs or other wares for sale. And don’t worry about how hot it may be. Many Moroccans swear that hot mint tea is just what your body needs to help it cool down when the day gets unbearably hot. Yes, mint tea is right any time of day and any day of the year.
The star of any Moroccan Tea Party is, of course, the mint tea. So let’s first examine the ingredients. The preferred tea of choice is Chinese gun powder green tea. The British introduced tea to Morocco during the Crimean War when embargoes prevented them from selling to some of their usual customers. The Moroccans found the green tea mixed nicely with the mint infusions they were already making and a new custom was born. Another important ingredient is the mint. In Morocco, they favor a variety of spearmint known as Moroccan mint (Mentha crispa) which may be hard to locate in the United States. Another variety like Mentha spicata or Mentha viridis will also work. Just make sure that you are using spearmint and not a peppermint. The last crucial ingredient is the sugar. Were you in Morocco, you would be likely to buy your sugar formed into tall cones wrapped in purple tissue. You may also find sugar sold in oblong, rectangular blocks. Pick up some sugar cubes for your tea party as the next best thing. These three ingredients combined with water are all that are necessary for Moroccan mint tea.
Each family will have its own special combination when it comes to making tea. Some may prefer to add in other ingredients to make their own special blend. You might consider adding a couple sprigs of lemon verbena to your brew. Some like to add some fresh orange blossoms when in season or a dash of orange blossom water at other times of the year. Cinnamon and saffron are other popular additions. So is wormwood which when distilled with other herbs is the basis for making absinthe.
Collecting together the items for your tea party will be half the fun. Traditionally, Moroccans will use a metal teapot that has a bulbous shape like a British ‘Manchester.’ The teapot will also have a long spout which makes it easier to pour the tea from great heights with flourish. The teapot will also have a lid. The size you choose will depend on the number of people you generally plan to serve in one sitting. Moroccan mint tea is usually served in glasses without a handle similar in size to our juice glasses. It is fun to shop in the markets for tea glasses as they seem to come in as many colors and patterns are there are families in Morocco. Investing in a pretty set will go a long way towards achieving the right ambiance and you can use them at other times as pretty tealight holders or vases. The third item that you always see with the teapot and tea glasses is a metal tray to carry everything to the site of your tea party.
Tea is often served in the late afternoon, maybe after a nap during the hottest part of the day, and accompanied by sweets and other snacks. Moroccans love their pastries and you are likely to see them either at breakfast or with afternoon tea. After meals, usually only a variety of fruit will be served. Moroccans love cookies and one you are you are assured to see is the gazelle horn. If you are interested in learning how to make gazelle horns, please visit WanderShopper today for the recipe as well as sources for everything you will need to host your Moroccan Tea Party. In addition to pastries, you will regularly find bowls of dates, assorted nuts and sometimes olives.
Moroccan mint tea is often made tableside. You will want to begin by pouring some boiling water into your teapot to warm it so it will retain its heat while you infuse your tea. I usually leave the hot water in for as long as it takes me to boil another pot. Empty your teapot and add 2 teaspoons of Chinese gunpowder green tea. Pour in some water and swirl it around to rinse the dust off the tea leaves as you allow them to bloom. Pour off the dirty water. If you are concerned, you can pour it into one of the tea glasses so you can see if the water is still cloudy with dust. You can repeat the rinsing process a few more times if you feel you need to.
To make the tea, add a generous handful of lightly crushed sprigs of cleaned and dry mint until the pot is three quarters full. Now is the time to also add 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Moroccans drink their tea very sweet so don’t be afraid to really add it in there! Then add boiling water to the top of the mint. Let the tea steep for 3 minutes.
The next step requires some skill and you can become showier with practice. Moroccans mix their tea, froth it and cool it all in the same step by pouring the tea out into a glass sometimes as far away as a couple feet. Over time, you will become accustomed to the arc the tea will take from your pot to the glass and gain confidence at greater distances. For your first few times, feel free to pour close and keep a tea towel handy! You should always pour the tea out into a glass three times, returning the tea back to the pot each time. Observing this custom will guarantee that your tea will be properly mixed and be ready to share with your guests. After serving everyone, depending on the size of your teapot, you may need to begin to make more tea as guests as usually expected to drink a minimum of three glasses of tea at each sitting.
Hosting a Moroccan Tea Party is easy and a fun way to share your love of travel and exotic destinations with friends and family. Why not make a night of it by scattering some throw pillows around on a rug, popping in a DVD of Casablanca and serving mint tea with snacks. To find sources for some of the items you will need to host an authentic Moroccan get together, as well as learn how to make gazelle horn cookies, be sure to visit WanderShopper today for my post Sourcing Your Moroccan Tea Party.
Sadly, there is no link party today, but head over to WanderShopper to see part 2 of this post. We’re having our own little private link party today – a link and tea party, if you will. 😉