Name: Moroccan Mint Tea
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 4¼ cups boiling water , divided; 4 teaspoons gunpowder green tea leaves; ½ cup fresh mint leaves , plus extra for serving; ¼ cup sugar

Why This Recipe Works

The base of this drink is the gunpowder green tea leaf (named for its rolled, pellet-like shape), which was brought by merchants from China to Morocco in the 1800s. Chef Khalil Aman of Boston generously shared with us how he and his family have been making their mint tea for generations. With only four simple ingredients, preparation is everything. Unlike other green teas, this one is prepared with boiling water. First, the water opens the tea pellets to temper their bitterness. Then, that water is discarded and the washed tea leaves are combined with fresh mint, sugar, and more boiling water, which further softens the astringency of the tea. To serve, the tea is poured from a height to aerate the tea but also to entertain whomever you are sharing the tea with. Gunpowder green tea is also called Lo Chu Ch'a or Zhu Cha.

Before You Begin

Do not substitute other varieties of tea in this recipe. If your teapot does not have a strainer, transfer the washed tea leaves and mint leaves to a reusable tea infuser or tea sachet before steeping in step 2.

Instructions

Combine ¼ cup boiling water and tea in bowl, then immediately pour off and discard water, reserving tea leaves.

Stir remaining 4 cups boiling water, washed tea, mint, and sugar in 6-cup teapot or liquid measuring cup until sugar has dissolved. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Working in continuous motion, slowly pour tea into cups while lifting spout of pot away from cups to increase the length and arc of tea stream; return spout of pot to each cup before moving to next cup. Serve immediately with extra mint, if desired.