- Moroccan mint tea is green tea brewed with fresh mint and, traditionally, plenty of sugar.
- It is poured from a height to cool it and to build a light froth in the glass.
- Offering tea is the first gesture of Moroccan hospitality.
- At Dada, fresh mint tea is €5.90, or €7.90 with a Moroccan pastry.
In a Moroccan home, the first thing you are offered is tea. Before the food, before the conversation really begins, a silver teapot appears, the glasses are lined up, and the host starts to pour. At Dada we finish every meal the same way, because it is the most Moroccan thing we know.
What is in the pot
Moroccan mint tea, called atay at home, is beautifully simple. Green tea, usually a tightly rolled Chinese gunpowder tea, is brewed with a generous handful of fresh mint. Traditionally it is sweetened too, sometimes a lot. Green tea reached Morocco through trade in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the country made it entirely its own.
Why it is poured from a height
Watching a Moroccan tea pour is half the pleasure. The pot is lifted high above the glass, and a long, thin stream falls into it. There are good reasons for the theatre. It cools the tea a little, it mixes the sugar and mint through, and it creates a light froth on top of the glass, the sign of a pot made with care. Hosts often pour a glass and return it to the pot a few times before serving, just to get it right.
The three glasses
Tea is usually served in rounds, and an old saying from the Sahara describes them well. The first glass is gentle, like life. The second is strong, like love. The third is bitter, like death. It is said with a smile, and it is a reminder that tea is meant to be taken slowly, in good company.
A ritual of welcome
In Morocco, refusing tea can feel like refusing friendship. Offering it says you are welcome, you are not in a hurry, and you should stay a while. That is exactly the feeling we want our guests to leave with.
Tea at Dada
- Moroccan fresh mint tea, loose-leaf green tea and fresh mint, €5.90
- Moorish loose-leaf blends such as Tales of the Alhambra and One Thousand and One Nights, €5.90
- Any tea with a Moroccan pastry, €7.90
- Iced fresh mint tea for warmer days, €6.90
Pair your tea with baklava, the cardamom and lemon tart or a plate of house pastries. See the full dessert and tea menu.
Quick answers
Why is Moroccan tea poured from a height?
Pouring from a height cools the tea, mixes it, and creates a light froth on top of the glass, which is a sign of a well-made pot.
What is in Moroccan mint tea?
Green tea, fresh mint and sugar. Many families use Chinese gunpowder green tea and fresh spearmint.
