Moroccan Mint Tea — Atay bi Na'na'
Gunpowder green tea steeped with a large bunch of spearmint and sugar, then poured from a height into small glasses.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Mint tea is not a drink in Morocco so much as a form of hospitality. It is offered the moment you sit down, poured by the host, and refused only if you would like to cause offence.
The method matters. The leaves are rinsed first to remove bitterness, the pot is filled and returned to the heat, and the tea is poured back and forth through a glass to mix it without stirring. The final pour is made from as high as your arm allows, which aerates the tea and gives it the crown of foam that says it was made properly.
Three glasses is the tradition, each a little stronger than the last.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings
Instructions
Rinse the leaves
Put the tea into a metal teapot. Pour in about 100 ml of boiling water, swirl for 30 seconds and pour that water away. This removes the dust and the sharp bitterness from the leaves.
Wake the tea
Add another 200 ml of boiling water, set the pot on a low heat and let it come to a bare simmer for 2 minutes. Pour this first infusion into a glass and set it aside — it holds most of the tea's aroma and goes back in later.
Add mint and sugar
Push the mint into the pot, stalks and all, and add the sugar. Pour the reserved infusion back in along with the remaining boiling water.
Simmer
Return the pot to a low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not let it boil hard — boiled mint turns bitter and the leaves go black.
Mix by pouring
Fill a glass from the pot and pour it straight back in. Repeat three or four times. This mixes the sugar and evens out the strength without a spoon touching the leaves.
Taste and pour
Taste from a glass and add sugar if needed. Then pour into the glasses from as high as you comfortably can, so that each one is topped with a head of foam. Serve immediately, very hot.
Cook’s notes
- Spearmint is the correct mint. Peppermint is far too aggressive and will take over the tea completely.
- In winter Moroccans often add wormwood (chiba), verbena or a few leaves of sage. Add them with the mint.
- If you prefer it less sweet, start with 3 tablespoons and adjust — but remember the tea is meant to taste sweet, and the sugar rounds off the tannin.
Recipe information
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Total time
- 15 min
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 85 kcal per serving
- Cuisine
- Moroccan
- Course
- Drink
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Keywords
- moroccan mint tea, atay bi nana, how to make moroccan mint tea, moroccan tea recipe
Nutrition is an estimate per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Moroccan mint tea poured from a height?
Which tea is used for Moroccan mint tea?
Can I use dried mint?
How much sugar is traditional?
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