Moroccan Mint Tea

Mint tea is almost a national drink of Morrocco.Moroccan style mint tea is served all over North Africa and has become a part of culture.It is made using the green tea powder available there or rather imported from China and it is also called the Chinese gunpowder.The preparation varies from region to region. Basically we require the Moroccan tea pot for doing this but it can be done using the normal tea pot or generally any pot .I always prefer milky tea and am no lover of black tea but I like green tea.Add to this the additional refreshing flavour of mint,the taste was a surprise for me.The mint and green tea balance each other perfectly.

Ingredients:
Green Tea: 1 tsp
Boiling water: 1-1.5 cups
Mint:10-12 sprigs
Sugar: 1-2 tbsp

Preparation:

Boil water .Keep the tea pot ready.Add a little boiled water to the tea pot and swish it out.This is just to warm the teapot.This is optional though.

Add mint sprigs,green tea,sugar to the tea pot.

Pour boiling water onto this into the tea pot.
Let it sit for a a few minutes so that the tea is brewed and the flavours are absorbed.You can also stir with a spoon.

Pour the tea into a glass and then pour back in.Repeat it once more.Also make sure you pour from a little height.This pouring twice make sure the flavours are well blended and the sugar is dissolved and pouring from a height ensures foam on top of the glass and also cools it a little bit and this is the way it is supposed to be done in Morocco.

Pour into a serving cup through a strainer/seive so that only the liquid remains in the cup and the green tea and mint residue remain in the tea pot.Normally Moroccan tea pot have a strainer in the beak which ensures only the liquid is poured into the serving cup.

Garnish with mint and serve.

The recipe serves one.you can also substitute the sugar with honey or agave nectar.I used part honey and part sugar.For a video on this visit here.

I am a tea drinker and this way is slightly different from making the normal milky tea.Also the pouring from the height is almost a ritual related to coffee or atleast to me.Remember glass full of foaming decoction coffee served in SouthIndia or similar restaurants.This is a bit similar though I prefer it foamless.Anyway the simple yet refreshing Mint Tea is onway to JFI:Mint, an event by Indira of Mahandi and currently hosted by Ashwini of SpicyCuisine