Traditional Green Tea Brewing Method for Northwest Africa
North and West African countries mainly drink Chinese gunpowder tea and chunmee tea. Their universal way of drinking is boiling tea with fresh mint leaves and plenty of white granulated sugar. This method is widely adopted in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Senegal and other regions. Two versions are included: the classic household boiling method and a quick simplified method.
1. Required Tools & Ingredients
Utensils: Long-spouted copper kettle or stainless steel teapot, small short transparent glasses, charcoal stove or electric heater
Raw materials: Chinese gunpowder tea, chunmee green tea, fresh mint sprigs, white sugar, pure water
Standard ratio (for a 500ml kettle): Dried tea leaves: 15~25g; White sugar: 4~6 tablespoons; Fresh mint: a large handful of tender branches and leaves; Pure water: 500ml
2. Authentic Traditional Brewing Steps (Popular in North Africa, Morocco Style)
Tea rinsing (essential procedure) Put tea leaves into the teapot, pour in a small amount of boiling water, swirl for 30 seconds, then pour all the water away. This step removes floating dust and excessive bitterness, and also conforms to Islamic hygiene customs.
Slow boiling Fill the kettle two-thirds full with boiling water, add sugar, then simmer gently over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes to fully extract the tea flavor.
Steep with mint to release aroma Turn off the heat, crumple the mint leaves slightly and place them into the kettle, cover and let it steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not boil mint for a long time, otherwise its essential fragrance will evaporate.
Iconic high pouring etiquette Lift the kettle 30 to 50 centimeters above the small glasses and pour down from a height. The strong impact creates thick foam. Locals regard rich foam as a sign of high-quality tea. You may also pour the tea back and forth between the kettle and cups twice to balance sweetness and aroma evenly.
Three rounds of serving One batch of tea leaves is normally brewed three times only:
First round: strongest fragrance, fresh and brisk taste
Second round: mellow sweetness, most well-received
Third round: light and soft flavor Replace the tea leaves after three servings.
3. Simplified Boiling Method for West Africa (Mauritania, Senegal)
West African consumers prefer strong thick tea and mostly choose chunmee tea with a simpler process:
Take around 20g tea leaves and rinse quickly with boiling water.
Fill up water, add abundant sugar and boil over charcoal fire for 5 to 8 minutes.
Put in mint leaves and steep for another 1 minute right before serving.
Pour into cups from a height, discard the tea residue after three rounds.
4. No-open-fire Convenient Steeping Method
If you do not have a stove available:
Rinse tea leaves briefly with warm water.
Pour boiling water into the teapot, add sugar, cover and steep for 4 minutes.
Add mint leaves and stand for another 2 minutes.
Serve by high pouring.
5. Local Customs & Key Notes
Extremely high sweetness level The ratio of tea to sugar can reach up to 1:10. Heavy sweetness covers the astringency of green tea and suits the hot local climate.
High-temperature boiling all the time Unlike Chinese low-temperature brewing for tender green tea, Northwest African tea must endure prolonged boiling. That is why they import durable chunmee and gunpowder tea specially.
Hospitality ritual Hosts must make and serve tea personally. Offering three cups of tea to guests completes the full etiquette.
Hot serving only Locals never drink iced tea, hot tea is served all year round.
6. Tips for Tea Export Business
For chunmee and gunpowder tea exported to Northwest Africa, tenderness is not the priority. Products that resist long boiling, produce rich amber liquor and retain strong flavor after repeated steeping are most popular in local markets.