Recipe · Drink
Moroccan Mint Tea (Atay) – Recipe with Fresh Mint
Atay, Moroccan mint tea, is a hospitality drink made from green tea, fresh mint, and sugar. It is ready in about 10 minutes. The special part is the ritual: the tea is poured back and forth between glass and pot several times and finally poured from a height. The amount of sugar here is deliberately modest; traditionally it is often served much sweeter.
Preparation
- Bring the water to a boil. Briefly rinse the mint and let it drain. The stems can stay on.
- Put the tea leaves in the pot, pour about 100 ml of hot water over them, swirl briefly, and pour off this first water. This removes some of the bitter compounds.
- Add the mint and sugar to the pot with the tea leaves.
- Pour in the rest of the boiling water and give the pot one brief swirl.
- Let the pot steep for 3–5 minutes, on low heat on the stove or on a warmer if you like. The tea should stay warm but not boil vigorously.
- To mix, pour a glass and pour it back into the pot. Repeat this two or three times until the sugar and brew are evenly distributed.
- Pour the tea into the glasses from a height so that a light foam crown forms on top. Serve hot, with a fresh sprig of mint in the glass if you like.
- Careful, hot: Hot tea can splash when poured from a height. Practice from a low height, pour over a surface where nothing can happen, and keep children away.
- Adjust the sugar: You can reduce the amount of sugar or leave it out. The tea then tastes more bitter, and the mint aroma comes through more strongly.
- Caffeine: Green tea contains caffeine. Keep this in mind for small children and sensitive people.
- Fresh mint: Fresh mint gives the best aroma. Dried mint will do in a pinch, but it tastes different and is used more sparingly.
- Suitable teapot: Traditionally it is a metal pot that can be heated directly. Make sure it is suitable for your stove. The tea calculator works out how much tea you need for a round.
Handy extras
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Moroccan mint tea set
Teapot and glasses as a set. Check that the pot is stove-safe and note its capacity.
Gunpowder tea
The standard tea for Atay. Freshness and origin are stated on the package.
Tea glasses, oriental
Small glasses for the tea ceremony, ideally heatproof.
Frequently asked questions
Which tea is used for Atay?
Chinese green tea rolled into pellets, the so-called gunpowder tea, is customary. It stands up well to strong brewing and strong sweetness.
Why is the first water poured off?
Briefly rinsing the tea leaves removes some of the bitter compounds and makes the brew milder. It is a common step in the ritual.
How many glasses does one pot make?
With 500 ml of water and small tea glasses of about 100–125 ml, you get roughly 4 glasses. For more guests, use a larger pot or make a second round.
Keep reading
Tool · Mint teaTea calculator
How much green tea, mint, sugar, and water for 1 to 12 glasses of mint tea? With steeping time and sweetness level.
🧮 Calculator
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