Morocco
Marrakech's minaret
Jonathan's Moroccan Tea Journal:
Morocco is a country full of beauty, hospitality, and lots of mint tea.
As a joke, the Moroccan mint tea is referred to as their "whiskey"
because they drink the extra sweet tea in small glasses, resembling decorative
shot glasses.
Journalling tea time at a little cafe in Marrakech
Tea is one of the most endearing parts of the Moroccan culture that I
experienced on my two week journey through the country. It is part of
everyday life, several times a day and is a large part of the hospitality
that Moroccans pride themselves on. While I was shopping for gifts in
the "souk" or market of several cities, the store owners wanted
me to sit down and take a break from my shopping and enjoy a glass of
tea, while they showed more goods in their shop as part of the bargaining
ritual.
Moroccan mint tea consists of Chinese green gunpowder tea, fresh mint
leaves, usually spearmint, I believe, and many cubes of sugar. Teapots
are metal with strainer holes at the base of the spout. The green tea
is put in the pot with fresh mint and some sugar. When serving, it's traditional
to pour a glass of tea and then pour that tea back into the pot so that
the sugar is properly mixed into the entire pot. As the tea is poured,
the server raises the pot to make a long stream of tea flowing into the
small glass, adding flair to the ceremony. Sugar is often offered to further
sweeten your half glass of tea. A half glass is normally served so that
you can hold it in your hand without it burning. Since the teapots are
metal, ranging from aluminum, to stainless steel, to silver, to brass,
they get quite hot. Hot pot holders in the shape of a little man with
a red fez are used to hold the hot handle.
Many foreigners don't like the sweetness of the tea as it is considered
extremely sweet. I enjoyed it every few days, but wasn't in the habit
of it for more than once a day, as I usually drink tea without any milk
or sugar at all.
Moroccan Mint Tea outside of Marrakech - Kasbah de Toubkal
My most spectacular tea time in Morocco was outside of Marrakech in the
nearby mountains. A good friend and I visited the Kasbah de Toubkal in
Imlil. This old fortress, home to the indiginous Berber peoples, used
to be a place for the ruling leader of that region, located high up so
that it could easily defend the surroundings. The scenery was incredible
with amazing weather. As it turns out, this was the location of the film
production Kundun, a Martin Scorcese movie. We had some tea up on the
roof of the kasbah, overlooking the valleys and set below the third highest
peak in northern Africa.
Jonathan atop the Kasbah de Toubkal
Another wonderful part of the tea culture in Morocco is the range of
decorative tea glasses. There are mass produced glasses and there are
also delicately hand-painted glasses by artisans. I enjoyed seeing the
different designs inspired by the arabic culture, architecture and also
surroundings.
If you go to Morocco, be prepared to have tea at any time and make sure
that you accept every offer, as it is rude to decline one of their most
treasured and hospitable offers of their culture. |
