A cup of mint tea

Moroccan tea culture (Arabic: اتاي‎ - Ataí) is defined by the way tea (exclusively green tea) is prepared and consumed in Morocco, where it is widely consumed with food. The tradition has also spread throughout North Africa, parts of the Sahel, and southern Spain. Tea occupies a very important place in Moroccan culture and is considered an art form. Morocco is one of the biggest tea importers of the world.

Moroccan-style mint tea is now commonly served all through North Africa. It is served not only at mealtimes but all through the day, and it is especially a drink of hospitality, commonly served whenever there are guests. Unlike Moroccan food, cooked by women, this tea is traditionally a man's affair: prepared by the head of the family. It is served to guests, and it is impolite to refuse it.

Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, countries where it is mostly drank, consume respectively 1.4, 1.5 and 0.7 kg of tea yearly per capita.

[edit] Origins

It is believed that tea was first introduced to Morocco in the 18th century, and began spreading through the country in the mid-1800s at the time the trade between the Maghreb and Europe started flourishing. It is reported that Sultan Moulay Ismail received many bags of tea and sugar as gifts and recompenses given by European envoys in order to release European prisoners.

The main provider of tea to Morocco remains China. According to the Moroccan trade ministry, Morocco imported more than $56 million worth of Chinese tea during the first half of 2006. Morocco is considered the first importer of Chinese green tea worldwide. ^[1]

[edit] Preparation

The exact preparation of the tea varies from region to region. It is normally sweeter in the north of Morocco than the south, and in some regions, pine nuts are added. In the winter, when mint can be rare, sometimes leaves of wormwood (Chiba in moroccan arabic) are substituted for or complement mint, giving the tea a distinctly bitter flavor.

Moroccan tea being served. It is poured from a distance to produce a foam on the tea.

The method of preparation of Atai is relatively complex compared to methods used elsewhere. The typical green tea used is a Gunpowder tea variety imported from China. A large quantity of hard sugar cones or lumps (5 teaspoons for every spoon of tea) is used, and fresh mint is also an essential ingredient.

Tea is cleaned with boiling water before being dried. This removes dust from shipping and supposedly makes the tea less bitter. Tea and boiling water are combined, and may be boiled further for several minutes. After that, sugar and mint are added and mixed into a teapot with a long, curved spout. The sugar may also be combined with the tea and water in the first infusion, rather than with the mint after brewing. Using a traditional curved spout allows the tea to be poured into tiny glasses from a height of approximately half a meter to form a foamy head. In certain tea houses, the tea is poured into the cups from as high as 3 to 4 meters to allow cooling. It is then returned once or twice to the teapot for a good mix.

Traditionally the tea is served three times, and the amount of time the tea has been steeping gives each of the three glasses of tea a unique flavor, described in this famous proverb:

Le premier verre est aussi amer que la vie,
le deuxième est aussi fort que l'amour,
le troisième est aussi doux que la mort.

The first glass is as bitter as life,
the second glass is as strong as love,
the third glass is as gentle as death.

[edit] See also

• Moroccan cuisine
• Tea culture
• Touareg tea

[edit] References

Much of the content of this article comes from the equivalent Arabic-language wikipedia article, accessed September 30 2006.

[edit] Footnotes

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