Moroccan mint tea (atay)
Gunpowder green tea brewed with fresh spearmint and sugar, poured from a height
Atay is Morocco's gesture of welcome, poured for guests in homes from Tangier to the Sahara, in shops while you bargain and after every meal. Chinese gunpowder green tea is rinsed, brewed with a big bunch of fresh spearmint and sweetened in the pot, then poured from high above the glasses so it froths. The host often pours a glass and returns it to the pot several times to mix the sugar through. The result is sweet, fresh and pleasantly bitter. Chef's tip: rinse the tea leaves with a splash of boiling water and throw that water away first; it removes the dust and the harshest bitterness.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Warm a metal teapot with a little boiling water and pour it away. Put 1 tbsp Chinese gunpowder green tea in the pot.
Step 2: Pour in about 100 ml of ½ cup boiling water, swirl for 20 seconds and pour this first rinse away. Skipping the rinse is the most common mistake and makes the tea harsh.
Step 3: Pour in the rest of 2 ¾ cups boiling water. Push 1 oz fresh spearmint into the pot and add 3 tbsp sugar. If you can, set the pot over a low flame for 2–3 minutes until it just starts to bubble; otherwise leave it to steep for 4 minutes.
3 minStep 4: Pour a glass and tip it back into the pot. Do this two or three times to dissolve and mix the sugar.
Step 5: Taste and add more sugar if you like it sweeter. Serve in small glasses, pouring from as high as you safely can so a foam forms on top.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 40 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does moroccan mint tea (atay) take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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