Maghreb #6

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Moroccan mint tea, affectionately known as "Berber whiskey" is a very important facet of Moroccan culture, the making of which is even considered an art! Mint tea is consumed daily and always prepared for guests. I drank a ridiculous amount of this stuff, particularly when we were traveling out in the villages proximate to the desert and EVERYONE offered their best tea. Some days I must have consumed 3 or 4 cups. Andrea got really sick of it; courtesy dictated that I drank hers as well...wouldn't want to offend our hosts!

After being cleaned and dried, green tea is brewed with boiling water, SEVERAL lumps of sugar and a generous quantity of fresh mint leaves are added and mixed in a teapot with a long, curved spout. The host will traditionally pour tea into short glasses from a distance above. This is the produce a foam on the surface of the tea. The glasses are then emptied back into the teapot. A few rounds of this may occur. The tea is delightful, but EXTREMELY sweet. I've made my own version of Berber whiskey at home, but with considerably less sugar. Nevertheless, drinking mint tea in Morocco is a unique cultural experience.

Note: the picture of the woman is not mine. Source: Wikipedia.