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Moroccan · Maghrebi

Moroccan mint tea

Vegetarian

أتاي · atay

Gunpowder green tea brewed with a big bunch of fresh mint and sugar, then poured from a height into small glasses so it froths. The ritual drink of hospitality across Morocco and the Maghreb.

Moroccan mint tea is a Moroccan hot drink from Morocco, ready in about 13 minutes and made with green tea leaves and mint. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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A traditional Moroccan mint tea set with a silver teapot and cups outdoors in Fès, Morocco.
Photo: Moussa Idrissi / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
5 min
Cook
8 min
Total
13 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
37

Ingredients

4 small glasses

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Bring the water to the boil. Put the tea leaves in a teapot (opens in a new tab), pour over a splash of the boiling water, swirl and pour this first infusion into a glass and set aside. Add another splash, swirl and discard it to rinse the bitterness from the leaves.

  2. Step 2

    Return the reserved first glass to the pot, add the rest of the boiling water and the sugar (opens in a new tab), and steep over very low heat for 3–4 minutes (or bring just to a simmer on the stove).

    Food safety: Handle the hot teapot and glasses with care.

  3. Step 3

    Push the mint (opens in a new tab) into the pot and steep for 2 minutes more. Pour a glass and pour it back a couple of times to mix, then pour into small glasses from a height to make a froth.

    • 3 min

About this dish

Origin
Maghreb, Morocco · Commonly attributedDrunk throughout the Maghreb and the Sahel; most closely associated with Morocco.Also popular in Algeria, Tunisia, LibyaMore food from Morocco
Dish
Breakfast · Snack · Hot drinks
Cooking method
Boiled
Taste
refreshing, sweet, herby, bitter
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Green tea leaves · Mint · Sugar
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

37 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 198 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 0%
  • Carbohydrate 100%
  • Fat 0%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy37 kcal19 kcal
Protein0 g0 g
Carbohydrate9.5 g4.8 g
Net carbohydrate9.4 g4.8 g
Sugars9.4 g4.7 g
Added sugars9.4 g4.8 g
Fibre0.1 g0 g
Fat0 g0 g
Saturated fat0 g0 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium4 mg2 mg
Salt equivalent0 g0 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
6 mg
Calcium
21 mg
Iron
0.2 mg
Magnesium
5 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
3 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
1 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): green tea leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Rinsing the leaves is what keeps the tea bright rather than harsh.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling the mint hard — it turns the tea dull and grassy; steep it briefly at the end.

Serve with

  • With msemen, pastries, nuts or after a tagine.

Storage

  • Best freshly made.

Variations

  • With wormwood (sheeba): In winter a sprig of wormwood is often added with the mint.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & Blend

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The body of the dish

Gravy, sauce & base

Used in steps 1, 2

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

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Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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