19 August 2011

Friday Replay- Moroccan Mint Tea

Friday Replay is where I get a chance to replay some of the posts that I wrote  back when the only people reading were my mother and husband. So many of them mean a lot to me, and show my heart a bit more, so much so that I want to share them with the many readers I'm blessed to have now!
_______________________________________________________________

Green Tea and Mint

Have you been to Morocco? If so, you most certainly indulged in this overly sweet concoction. If you're like me you found that after one or two glasses you suffered from addiction and though it was 100 degrees outside you needed a piping hot serving every hour on the hour. 

Though this recipe can never replicate the actual experience being served mint tea in an old dusty Moroccan coffee shop, it does get quite close to actual flavor. Here's step by step instructions for creating this at home:


What you will need:

Gunpowder Green Tea (I found this brand at my local Middle Eastern market)
A handful of fresh mint leaves (rinsed and patted dry)
Medium sized tea pot (I bought this at M.E. market, but can buy here)
Adorable little tea glasses (these were given to me as a gift, but you can buy something like it here)
Boiling hot water
Sugar

Step 1: Boil 6 cups water in an electric kettle or a stove top kettle.

Step 2: Place 2-3 scoops of gunpowder green tea in medium tea pot. (See below)

1 scoop


1 scoop is enough to fill the little well in the cup of your hand. (I have tiny hands)

Step 3: While the water is heating, pick all the leaves off the stem of the mint plant and place in glasses (really stuff them in)





Step 4: Pour boiling hot water into medium tea pot (an inch over the spout) and let steep for 2-3 minutes.



Step 5: After 2-3 minutes, swish water around in pot and pour 85% of the water out into a glass (this cleans the leaves, the water should be murky) and then fill, again with boiling water to the same line. This will be the tea you pour into the glasses.



(Final) Step 6: Let the new water steep the leaves for about 6-7 minutes. Add 4 heaping spoonfuls of sugar pour into glasses. The higher you pour, the more the hospitality. And it creates a nice bubbling on top of the tea.




26 comments:

  1. I love mint tea, thanks for sharing! Hope you had a fabulous week!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipes! I want to try it sometime

    ReplyDelete
  3. I haven't try mint tea before. It seem great! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow, gunpowder tea is intense! i used to work in a tea shop and that was one of our teas that i thought was so hard core because of it's strong smell. Beautiful photos, by the way!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Emily- Yeah, it can be very pungent. That's why it is really important to do the "washing of the leaves" section. It mellows it out a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the mint tea. :D

    Check out my blog & follow me, I'm following you.
    x.o.x.o.
    Gossip Girl
    http://ggnatasha.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I absolutely love moroccan mint tea. I had it for the first time this year in Marrakech and it was like christmas in my mouth, haha, so delicious!! thanks for the directions!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mint tea is just perfect for these hot days!
    I tried it just few times, but i liked it a lot!^^
    xoxo
    S
    http://s-fashion-avenue.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. yum! such a pretty presentation too! i'm curious about the flavor of um, gunpowder, as i love minty teas but not fruity ones. what would you compare this too?

    p.s. after five years, neither my mother nor husband read my blog. which gives me the right to slam them. ha!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bon Bon- The gunpowder tea, if not washed properly (see step 5) can have an ashy, "stale cigarettes" flavor too it. It's very important that you do the swishing and washing to clean the dirt off the leaves so you are left with a clean flavor. I wouldn't describe this tea as fruity at all. It's very rich, very sweet, and very relaxing.

    ReplyDelete
  11. It's almost like I can smell this through the computer...almost. Happy Friday, Hannah! I like that you're re-posting old posts. Helps to give me a glimpse at more parts of you that you're passionate about :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yum!! I love the sweet teas. I've had a few in the middle east that were just wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I only really like mint in toothpaste, chewing gum and Mojitos.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I had actually already saved this recipe to try. Speaking of tea on hot days, have you watched the movie Cairo Time? It was beautiful - and the soundtrack amazing! Happy Weekend Hannah see you later in the week <3

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is my favorite. It is the best tea ever!

    ReplyDelete
  16. this tea looks so delicious!

    http://www.ohmydior.org/

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh I need to try this... and healthy too.

    ReplyDelete
  18. that looks so good :) and the presentation is beautiful :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I've never heard of this tea before! It sounds nice and looks really pretty, actually.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oooo very nice! My friend and I used to create a mint tea when we were younger. Never drank it...but it was fun to create...

    ReplyDelete
  21. i only find this amusing because i'm drinking moroccan mint tea and spices from lipton right now, my favorite tea in the world!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I am so keen to try this (love mint!!) but the amount of sugar is too much for me. Could this be equally refreshing/lovely minus the sugar?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Ohhh I wish I was having this right now!!

    ReplyDelete