Moroccan Mint Iced Tea

There is something special about mint tea, but Moroccan mint tea is on another level. Ask any Moroccan and they will tell you that drinking mint tea is almost like a national occupation! Mint tea is served several times throughout the day and is a foundation of Moroccan hospitality. Moroccan mint tea differs from regular mint tea that you find in Western countries. The mint leave steep alongside green tea, which is typically gunpowder tea.

Gunpowder tea comes from southeast China, in the Zheijang province. This type of tea dates back to the Tang Dynasty, which was in power from the 7th to 10th century. The English name of “gunpowder tea” is believed to come from the fact that the tightly rolled tea leaves resembled gunpowder pellets. The tea, however, is a bright golden color that has a subtle hint of smokiness and clean aftertaste. You can usually find loose leaf Moroccan mint tea that you can steep in a tea bag or infuser. Some teapots have built-in infuser nowadays, so use that if you have it!

Once you boil water, pour it over the tea and steep for three minutes. Remove the infuser or tea bag from the water after three minutes, and then add a small handful of mint, allowing it to steep for a few more minutes. Pour the tea into different mugs with a single sprig of mint in each mug. You can enjoy the tea unsweetened or sweeten it with raw agave nectar or stevia. Try it both ways and see which one you like better! Ideally, pour the tea over ice because the weather is quite hot, but if it’s cooler than enjoy the tea warm.