Tea in Morocco: History, Ritual and the Perfect Glass

Tea in Morocco does a lot of work. It's how a host says welcome, how a long lunch winds down and how friends settle in for a proper talk. The tea itself is simple: green tea, fresh mint and sugar. What makes it special is the way it's made and shared.

How tea came to Morocco

Tea first reached Morocco as a luxury, offered as a gift to the royal court in the early 1700s. For a long time it stayed a treat for the wealthy. That changed in the mid-1800s. The story usually told is that British merchants, cut off from their usual markets during the Crimean War, brought their Chinese green tea to ports like Tangier and Essaouira instead. Tea got cheaper and easier to find, and before long it was being poured in homes across the country.

Moroccans paired the new leaf with something they already loved. Fresh mint, called nana, grows easily there and had long been used in drinks. Together they became the cup the country is famous for today.

What goes in the pot

The classic Moroccan glass has three parts.

• Gunpowder green tea. Chinese green tea rolled into tight little pellets. It brews a bold cup with a slightly smoky edge that can stand up to plenty of mint and sugar.
• Fresh spearmint. Spearmint is the traditional choice. It's softer and sweeter than peppermint, and a big handful goes straight into the pot.
• Sugar. Moroccan tea is usually quite sweet, so this isn't the moment to be shy with the sugar bowl. Many families still break sugar from large cones and add it right into the pot.

The recipe shifts with the seasons. In colder months, some households add a sprig of wormwood, known as sheeba, for a deeper, more bitter note. Others reach for lemon verbena or sage. Outside Morocco, most packaged blends use dried mint so the tea keeps well in the cupboard.

The ritual

Tea is usually made in front of guests, often by the host or an elder in the family. Everything sits on a tray: a small metal teapot, a set of short decorated glasses, the tea, the mint and the sugar. Making it is part of the welcome, so nobody rushes.

The best-known moment is the pour. The host lifts the pot high above the glass and sends down a long, thin stream. This cools the tea a little, mixes in the sugar and raises a light foam on top, the sign of a well-made glass. Tea is often poured back into the pot once or twice to blend it before it's served.

Offering a glass to a guest is a gesture of hospitality, and turning it down can seem a little rude. Guests are often served more than one glass, each from the same pot as the tea steeps a little longer. A well-known saying describes the three: the first glass is gentle as life, the second is strong as love and the third is bitter as death.

Tea through the day

Mint tea turns up almost everywhere. It's poured after meals, served with pastries in the afternoon and offered to visitors in shops and markets while they browse. In cafes, it arrives in its own small pot with a glass on the side. Wherever it appears, it's a good excuse to slow down and sit for a while.

How to brew it the Moroccan way

1. Warm the pot. Swirl a little hot water in your teapot and pour it out.
2. Rinse the tea. Add about 2 teaspoons of gunpowder green per 2 cups of water. Pour in a splash of hot water, swirl and discard it. This softens bitterness.
3. Add the mint. If you have fresh spearmint, add a big handful. Even a single sprig makes a dried blend taste brighter.
4. Steep and sweeten. Fill with water around 175 to 180°F and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in sugar to taste. Traditional Moroccan tea is quite sweet.
5. Pour from a height. Lift the pot as you pour into small glasses to raise a little foam. Start slowly. It takes practice, so maybe don't debut it over a white tablecloth.

Tea bags and tea discs work too. Just follow the maker's directions on the product page. For iced tea, see our cold brew guide.

Find Moroccan-style blends in our Morocco collection, or explore more green tea. Two easy places to start are World Spice's Moroccan Mint Green Tea, which pairs gunpowder green tea with peppermint, and iLOLA's Moroccan Mint No. 26, pressed into handy tea discs. For brewing gear, browse Brewing Essentials.

Quick answers

What tea is used in Moroccan mint tea?

Traditionally it's Chinese gunpowder green tea, rolled into small pellets that brew a bold, slightly smoky cup.

Is Moroccan mint tea made with peppermint or spearmint?

Spearmint is traditional in Morocco. Many packaged blends use peppermint for a stronger, cooler flavor, and some use both.

Does Moroccan mint tea have caffeine?

Yes, when it's made with green tea. Herbal mint blends are caffeine-free. Our caffeine guide has more detail.

Why is Moroccan tea poured from so high?

Pouring from a height cools the tea a little, mixes in the sugar and creates a light foam on top. It also looks fantastic.

Can you drink Moroccan mint tea iced?

Absolutely. Brew it a little stronger, sweeten it while it's warm and pour it over ice.