Moroccan Mint Tea

Morocco (introduced via British-Moroccan trade in the 18th century; now the national drink)

Moroccan mint tea (atay) is simultaneously a beverage, a social ritual, and a symbol of Moroccan hospitality — gunpowder green tea brewed with fresh spearmint (nana) and an extraordinary quantity of sugar, poured from height into small decorated glasses, served three times (strong, sweet, and bitter) to guests as a sign of welcome. The high pour (from 30–50cm above the glass) is not theatrical — it aerates the tea and creates the characteristic foam (reguwa) that signals a properly made tea. The gunpowder tea (so named for its rolled pellet shape) provides a strong, slightly bitter base; the spearmint's menthol creates the cooling freshness; the sugar (added directly to the pot, not the glass) provides the sweetness that balances both.

Served with M'hanncha (snake cake), briouats, and sfenj (doughnuts) as the afternoon tea accompaniment; the sweetness of the tea is calibrated to match the sweetness of Moroccan pastries rather than to complement savoury food.