What is Moroccan mint tea?
Moroccan mint tea, often just called atay, is green tea brewed with fresh spearmint and usually a lot of sugar. The tea is normally Chinese gunpowder green tea, whose leaves are rolled into small pellets. It arrived in Morocco through trade, probably during the 18th and 19th centuries, and since then it has become the country’s everyday drink of welcome.
In Imsouane, as in the rest of Morocco, tea is not only something you drink. It is how a host says you are welcome to stay a while.
How is Moroccan mint tea made?
Recipes differ from family to family, but the ritual usually follows the same steps:
- Rinse the tea. The gunpowder leaves go into a metal teapot with a little boiling water. Some households keep this first infusion, but many pour it away to soften the bitterness.
- Add mint and sugar. A large handful of fresh spearmint goes in with the sugar, then the pot is filled with boiling water.
- Steep and mix. The tea brews for a few minutes, sometimes over a low flame. The host pours a glass and tips it back into the pot, often several times, to blend it without stirring.
- Pour from a height. The tea is poured into small glasses from high above, which raises a foam on top.
In winter some families add wormwood (chiba) or other herbs to the mint, which gives the tea a sharper, more medicinal edge.
What do the three glasses mean?
Tea in Morocco is traditionally served in three rounds from the same pot. There is a widely quoted saying, which you will hear in several versions:
The first glass is gentle, like life. The second is strong, like love. The third is bitter, like death.
The saying follows what actually happens in the pot. As the leaves steep longer, the flavour changes from glass to glass.
| Glass | Traditional meaning | How it usually tastes | What is happening in the pot |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Gentle, like life | Light, sweet, very minty | Fresh infusion, mint at its brightest |
| Second | Strong, like love | Fuller and more balanced | Tea has steeped longer, sugar fully dissolved |
| Third | Bitter, like death | Darker, with more tannin | Leaves heavily steeped, mint fading |
How seriously people take the saying varies. In many homes it is a bit of affectionate folklore rather than a rule. Still, staying for all three glasses tells your host that you are in no hurry to leave their company.
How do I be a gracious guest when offered tea?
If you travel in Morocco, you will be offered mint tea constantly: in homes, in shops, and in cafés from Essaouira, about 90 minutes north of Imsouane, to Agadir, about two hours south. A few habits go a long way.
| Situation | Gracious approach | Best avoided |
|---|---|---|
| Tea is offered | Accept at least one glass | A flat refusal with no explanation |
| The glass is very hot | Hold it by the rim and the base | Gulping it down to get it over with |
| You find it too sweet | Ask for less sugar before the pot is made | Leaving a full glass untouched |
| You need to leave | Thank your host and explain kindly | Leaving in the middle of a round |
| Being served | Take the glass with your right hand | Reaching across to pour for yourself |
A few more points:
- Let the host pour. Pouring is part of hosting. It is usually done by the head of the household or whoever invited you.
- Slow down. Tea is about conversation. Sitting with your glass is the point.
- Say thank you. Shukran (thank you) is understood everywhere. In our house, English, French and German work just as well.
- Being offered tea in a shop doesn’t commit you to buying. In souks, tea is often part of the welcome. Enjoying a glass and then leaving politely is fine.
Where will I drink mint tea around Imsouane?
Imsouane is a working fishing village on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, in the Souss-Massa region. Its harbour is where the fishing boats come in. Tea is part of daily life here, as it is everywhere in the country, and it is often the first thing offered when you sit down.
At Tafukt Surf, mint tea is part of our everyday hospitality. Aïcha, who runs the house with her sons Mhend and Mohamed, makes it along with bread baked each morning and slow-cooked tajines. Mornings are usually when the surf at Magic Bay is cleanest, and the onshore wind tends to pick up after midday. That makes the afternoon a natural time for a slow pot of tea back at the surf house, about five minutes from the line-up. Evenings bring shared meals on the rooftop, which is how most guests travelling alone get to know each other.
If you want to take the ritual home with you, souks sell teapots, trays and decorated glasses. The Agadir souk is a good place to browse. Prices are negotiated, so compare a few stalls and agree the price before you pay.
Plan your stay
Our surf weeks include homemade meals and family dinners in the surf house, and the Surf & Yoga Week adds rooftop yoga and a traditional hammam. To explore beyond the water, have a look at our activities, including Moroccan cooking and the Agadir souk. If you are coming mainly to surf, see our lessons and board and wetsuit rental. For anything not covered here, such as dietary needs, we confirm the details directly when you book.