It arrives not so much as a drink, but as a ritual: bright as sunlight on brass, fragrant with crushed mint and sweet enough to still the rush of a long day. Moroccan mint tea, or atay, is more than a refreshment, it's a gesture, a performance, a symbol of hospitality woven deep into the country's social fabric. Poured high from slender teapots into small, decorative glasses, the steam carries more than warmth but a spirit of generosity without pretense, through the medina at dusk and over the cool hush of a tiled courtyard. Its inherent simplicity speaks of place, tradition and the small, sustaining pleasures that anchor us in the world.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons No. 38, Majorelle Mint Tea (gunpowder green and mint blend)
- A generous handful of fresh mint stalks and leaves
- Sugar, to taste (lump sugar is traditional)
Directions
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Bring a kettle of filtered or spring water to 205ºF. Warm the teapot: add some of the boiling water, swirl around, then pour out. Add the tea, fresh mint and water; infuse for about 5-7 minutes. Sweeten to taste with rough-cut cubes of raw sugar.
