Moroccan mint tea and the berrad

What goes in

The base is Chinese green tea, usually the rolled ‘gunpowder’ kind. To it are added a generous bunch of fresh spearmint and sugar, often plenty of it. Some households add other herbs depending on the season, such as wormwood in winter.

How it is made

The tea leaves are first rinsed with a little boiling water, which is poured away to take out some bitterness. Then come the mint, the sugar and fresh boiling water. After a few minutes a glass is poured and returned to the pot, sometimes several times, to mix everything.

The tea is then poured from a height, in a long arc from the spout to the glass. This aerates it and raises a light foam on top. Glasses are usually refilled more than once; three rounds is a common custom.

The berrad

In Morocco the teapot is called a berrad. The classic shape has a rounded body, a domed lid and a long curved spout made for that high pour. Many are silver-plated or polished metal with engraved decoration. The berrad is served on a tray with small decorated glasses, and preparing tea for guests is a role of honour in many homes.

A short history

Tea is believed to have reached the Moroccan court in the 18th century, but it became an everyday drink in the 19th century, as imports of Chinese green tea grew. A popular story credits British merchants who sold surplus tea in Moroccan ports during the Crimean War in the 1850s; historians debate the details. Today mint tea is the drink most associated with Moroccan hospitality.

From the tea tray to two designs

Two designs start from the tea tray. On Hold. On Purpose. turns a berrad and its mint into a rotary telephone, so that waiting on hold becomes a pause worth taking. Deep Steep turns the teapot into a submarine, sending a Moroccan tea vessel on an unexpected journey below the surface.