Recipe: Maghreb mint mélange

It may seem odd that tea is the de facto national beverage of Morocco. It may seem incongruous that a country situated in North Africa is one of the largest importers of tea in the world, with a tea culture that pervades all aspects of society and is truly part of the national identity. Yet both of these things are true, and for those that have had it, Moroccan mint tea is one of the world's most unique beverages. Moroccans not only drink a lot of it themselves, but use every opportunity to demonstrate their famous hospitality by proffering a cup (in fact, while three is polite, it is considered rude not to drink at least two).

It is still quite interesting to consider how tea came to be so ingrained in Moroccan culture. There are conflicting origin stories. While the general consensus is that it gained popularity in the 19th century and onward, its exact provenance is unclear. One theory speculates that the British government, embroiled in the Crimean war (1853-56) and consequently cut off from some of their usual buyers, turned to selling tea to Morocco. Moroccans had long enjoyed a tea-like beverage made with mint leaves, and gunpowder tea was popular because the infusion it produced along with the mint retained the same color and basic flavor as the traditional beverage. Another theory suggests that gunpowder tea was introduced to Morocco by visiting Chinese merchants.

Whatever its origin, Moroccan mint tea is a delicious, pure-tasting and very sweet beverage that is particularly good as a nightcap or evening tea. It has one of the best imaginable knock-on effects: it freshens your breath! Below is a simple, easy way to make this delightful tea. While the authentic Moroccan method is obviously more complex and elaborate, this method will produce tea that is essentially the same and can be easily made at home.

MAGHREB MINT MELANGE
Ingredients:

1. Fresh spearmint leaves
2. Loose-leaf Gunpowder tea (the brand isn't important; the type is. Twinings sells a decent gunpowder that is easily available).
3. Large quantity of sugar (this depends on taste, but sweetness is an essential part of the beverage, so keep a bowl of it, or a package of sugar cubes, on hand)

Preparation instructions:

1. For a 24oz (approx 3 cup) teapot, add 3 teaspoons of gunpowder tea.
2. Fill the pot with water heated to approximately 160-180C.
3. Immediately pour out this water. (Interestingly, while there are technical reasons for doing this, it may also derive from the Chinese method of preparing oolong teas, where the leaves are "awakened" by rinsing them with hot water).
4. Add a handful of mint leaves. A good rule of thumb is one leaf per teaspoon of green tea. You want the taste to be distinct, not overpowering (although given the clean, pure taste of mint, the infusion is forgiving if you put too much in).
5. Again, fill the pot with water heated to about 160-180C.
6. Add sugar to taste (this is the most subjective part of the recipe, as everyone likes a different degree of sweetness. Tip: the beverage is supposed to be very sweet, so add lots of sugar. 5-6 teaspoons for a 3-cup teapot would not be out of order. (Some choose to add sugar to the beverage once it's poured into the cup for more control, although the traditional method involves brewing the tea with the sugar in the pot).
7. Allow to steep for 2 minutes.
8. Pour over a strainer into a teacup or glass.
9. Enjoy!

This tea is truly unique and, as mentioned before, makes a superb nightcap or evening tea.