Curiosities about Moroccan tea

Morocco is a fascinating place, notable for its exoticism, its culture, the characteristics of its cities and its Moroccan tea . This drink is their most practiced custom and represents a unique experience, with Moroccan teapots being one of the most valued objects by tea lovers .

Tea is the drink par excellence of the Moroccan population , it has been rooted in its history for centuries. Specifically in the mid-19th century, it was imported by English merchants and remained among the kitchens of Morocco, as it helped soften the infusions of mint and absinthe.

Tea is always drunk

Moroccan tea , also known as Moorish tea , is always consumed, regardless of the season. Furthermore, the way it is served is hot even in areas like the desert or warmer areas.

Moroccans have a saying that being hot quenches thirst better. This actually has a scientific basis, if we drink a very cold drink our body tries to regulate the temperature, on the other hand if we consume a hot drink it does not have to make that effort and it helps to improve our hydration .

In Morocco it is very common to serve your tea in a narrow glass glass and fill it until you are missing a finger, so you can hold it by that edge so as not to burn yourself.

Moroccan tea , according to a saying, should be drunk three times a day: the first glass is "bitter as life", the second glass of tea "strong as love" and the last "sweet as death".

These flavor changes are achieved in the tea making process , where a different amount of sugar is added. Although the tea has an intense flavor , thanks to the high sugar content it becomes a very sweet flavor, although in the south they tend to drink it more bitter.

Tea is part of their hospitality

When you enter a restaurant in Morocco or are invited to a house, their way of thanking you for visiting their home is to serve a cup of Moroccan tea and some Moorish pastries .

Moroccan tea is a symbol of hospitality and immediately when they offer it to you they invite you to sit and enjoy it with them. It is also considered rude to refuse a cup of their fantastic tea.

It is very curious to observe the process of preparing Moorish tea , since when they are going to serve it, a part of the tea glass is filled to a certain height and returned to the teapot, until it is full, this is done in three steps. They do this because with the entry of air into the teapot, the tea is oxygenated and all the ingredients are mixed well.

Infinite varieties of tea

The most common Moroccan tea used is Chinese green tea , but there are countless varieties of tea , which can be found in Alcazaba decoration, depending on the area you are in and for each of your personal tastes.

What changes is the proportion of tea that is added to the Moroccan teapot , in addition to the aromas that can be added such as mint, sugar, lemon, etc. In the northern part of Morocco the tea is usually sweeter, however, in the south it is more bitter.

Sometimes, Moroccans usually add some lemon verbena leaves to Moorish tea , this nuances its intense flavor and also provides a relaxing effect. It is also common to add orange blossom water and pine nuts, the latter being a version of the usual tea in Tunisia.

We hope you have been able to learn from these curiosities about Moroccan tea and that you are encouraged to try this drink with such an intense and unique flavor, but above all, enjoy it.