Everyone loves a cup of tea and the way the tea is prepared usually carries a little history of the region it is being taken.
While the British are widely known around the world as tea lovers, one can say Moroccans have inculcated tea drinking into their way of life so much so that Morocco is now synonymous with mint tea
.
The North African country is one of the world’s largest importers of tea and most of its tea is from China, another tea-loving country. On the average, a Moroccan can drink over five cups of tea a day. During winter, the consumption of tea increases and the tea can be brewed on fire the whole day.
Mint tea is served with every meal in Morocco and the process of preparing the tea is referred to as atai. Atai is mostly done in front of the guests and it is usually prepared by the male head of the family. This fine art of atai is skillfully passed down through generations.
At public ceremonies, the host can opt to give the guests a small silver tray that has a pot of boiling water and all other needed ingredients to make their own tea.
Restaurants in Morocco have carved their niche with the making of mint tea. There is a whole ceremony that is staged in the restaurant or café which may include incense burning, dimming lights and playing traditional Moroccan tunes all in preparation for the guests in the restaurant to have their
tea.
Now Moroccans are very particular with the brewing of the tea and how it is served, know that Moroccan tea is mostly always brewed with sugar and fresh mint. When brewed the tea is served in a glass, however, the details then lie in how the tea is poured. The tea is poured from a height into a glass. This is done to access if the tea brewed to perfection.
The way the locals ascertain this is when the surface of the glass is frothy after pouring or when there is foam on the surface. If there is no froth, then the tea is bad, and it is right to start the process again till the foam appears on the glass. An extra glass is also poured halfway and left to sit f
or a while.
Mint tea is not the only tea drank in Morocco. There are other types of tea of which some have medicinal purposes that are used to treat various symptoms. Different herbs and types of mints are brewed for its medicinal qualities, especially during winter to boost the immune system and ward off cold and other illnesses.
Tea is an important extension of the famed Moroccan hospitality. For Moroccans drinking tea is a way of life and most people prefer to have home brewed tea than one bought from a restaurant or café because they have a better chance of brewing it to suit their taste.
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