Moroccan Mint Tea Recipe

Here's a quick and easy iced tea recipe that reeks of fanciness but requires no effort. Ever had HonestTea's bottled mint tea? It retails for $1.75/16oz at Sheetz. This recipe's cost is extremely negligible and makes 64oz for under 50 cents! That's $7 if purchased by the bottle.

Moroccan Mint tea is an international affair. Originating in Morocco, the recipe uses Chinese Gunpowder tea, so named by the British because of its resemblance to cannon powder. How's that for transcontinental? Gunpowder tea is green tea that's been rolled into tight pellets. Unlike green tea's grassy flavor, this one has a very smooth, honey-like taste. It even has a pleasing honey color when brewed.



I started with Chinese Gunpowder tea from one of the Asian grocers in the Strip District. There I purchased a 1 pound container of basic Gunpowder tea for under $2 that looked exactly like this:


With tea on hand, I grabbed the following equipment:

• Teapot with strainer (or use tea kettle/pan)
• 3 teaspoons Gunpowder tea (sub any green tea loose or bagged)
• 2-4 Tablespoons Sugar/Honey
• Several Sprigs of Mint (sub a peppermint tea bag)
• Pitcher

While waiting for water to boil, add tea to teapot. Add sugar and bruised mint (roll it in your hand a few times) to pitcher.



Cool boiled water for 2 minutes. NEVER steep green tea with boiling water. It will render it undrinkably bitter and that's the main reason most folks dislike plain green tea, it's been steeped too hot.

Add cooled water to teapot and steep for 1-2 minutes. Watch as tea pellets unfurl into proper tea leaves.



Pour tea into pitcher, sugar dissolves and mint will become fragrant. Allow mint to sit in warm tea for 10 minutes for best result. Discard mint and chill tea. That's it! You've made Moroccan Mint tea. Boil a second pot of water and re-steep your loose tea. Enjoy a plain cup of Gunpowder tea while your Mint tea cools off in the fridge!

Jasmine Pearl Tea

First up on the drinkable docket is a teeny tiny sampler pouch obtained at TenRen Tea on October's Chinatown trip (pics forthcoming, they are somewhere, honest). I'd never had this type before and it looked neat. Apparently, according to the link below, this one isn't cheap, so teeny $3 packet is probably the way to try it out.

It's a whole-leaf green tea base that is heavily scented with Jasmine flowers and rolled into tiny little cannonballs that unfurl in the brewing. I'm guessing the baggie makes about 4 cups at a tsp per, so we're trying it out in our big teapot with 3 min brew time and 180deg water, sits about 2 min to cool from hitting boil.

TenRen Tea's Jasmine Pearl-Info Page

Results were great, as soon as hot water hits the room smells like Jasmine. Pretty cool. Light in taste, color is peach/amber differing from the typical grassy green. Got 3 brews out of the big pot and fridge'd a good amount to share. Not one to sugar my green tea, but this one was great with it.
Brewed leaves unrolled:

OMG I have too many teas...

...so I'll blog them. I suppose cutting cigar hunting down drastically has left a void for another consumable obsession. Enter festive teas from the Orient.