公視"看見阿爾及利亞"中，談到喝薄荷茶時，前三杯/道，味道多不同。

ALGERIAN GREEN MINT TEA

July 4, 2015

Mint tea can be referred to by many names; Saharan, Maghrebi, and most commonly as Moroccan Tea. All the same, they are served in most North African countries in the Maghreb region. The serving of tea is a sort of ceremony especially when prepared for a guest. Typically three glasses are served and each glass will vary in taste because of how long the tea has steeped. It is also considered impolite to refuse which is hard since the first glass will always be the most bitter. Both dried and fresh mint can be used to infuse the tea. The tea to be used is a special Chinese green tea called gunpowder which refers to the leaves that are rolled tightly into pearls and explode like gunpowder in the water. Watching the tea being poured is truly a delight. How they grasp a piping hot copper tea pot and able to pour it into a glass two feet away is beyond me. Pouring it from that height aerates the tea, improving its flavor. Using my recipe your tea will be just as good as being prepared like the natives. With more practice you’ll be pouring like them too!

Special Tools Needed:

• Tea Pot
• Small Strainer (most teapots have one in the spout)
• Oven Mitt (I can’t grasp my handle without one)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons gunpowder green tea
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup sugar
• handful of mint leaves (fresh or dried)
• 10 cups water

Directions:

1. Place tea pearls inside teapot.
2. Bring water to a boil, then immediately pour half of it into teapot, subsequently pouring the water from the teapot out. (this washes the tea, let the water sit for more than a few seconds and it will cause the tea to become weak)
3. Put mint leaves into the teapot, the heat from the pot will sweat the oils from the leaves.
4. Bring the remaining water back to a boil and add in sugar.
5. Pour the sugared water into the teapot.
6. Let sit for a few minutes.
7. Serve with cookies.

*The tea and mint should be left in the teapot and at times it does get into the tea glasses but it adds a different flavor with each glass. Most times candles are lit as well to create an ambience.