Atay
أتاي · Moroccan mint tea
Morocco’s national drink and welcome — gunpowder green tea steeped with fresh spearmint and plenty of sugar, poured from a height to raise a foam.
Serves ~4
Ingredients
- 1 heaped tsp gunpowder green tea
- A generous bunch of fresh spearmint (nana)
- 3 tbsp sugar, or to taste
- About 2–3 cups water
Method
- Put the tea in the pot and pour in a little boiling water to rinse the leaves; swirl and pour it off to wash away bitterness.
- Add the rest of the boiling water and the sugar and bring to a gentle boil on the stove.
- Add the mint, fully submerged, and simmer a minute or two until faintly foaming.
- Stir to dissolve the sugar and taste.
- Pour from high above the glass to build a foamy head, and serve hot in small glasses.
The family table
Tea is hospitality itself in Morocco — the first thing set out for a guest, traditionally poured by the head of the household. A saying gives the three glasses from one pot: the first gentle as life, the second strong as love, the third bitter as death, as the leaves keep steeping. The high pour aerates the tea and raises the prized foam; keep the mint pushed under so it doesn’t turn bitter. Cooks differ on the rinse — some discard the first infusion, some save its ‘essence’ and add it back.
Middle Eastern home cooking, organized by country. Your family’s version is the one that counts.