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Moroccan Mint Tea
The exact preparation of Moroccan mint 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. When Moroccan tea is 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 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.
Le premier verre est aussi amer que la vie. --- The first glass is as bitter as life.
Le deuxième est aussi fort que l'amour. --- The second is as strong as love.
Le troisième est aussi doux que la mort. --- The third is gentle as death.
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:
From Wikipedia.org
