After just one day of visiting Morocco, I quickly learned that mint tea is more than just a beverage. In this North African country, tea is a key symbol of hospitality, served as a warm welcome when entering a home or business. I was offered a glass of Moroccan tea when checking in to my hot air balloon tour, checking into my Riad, and even when walking into some stores.
Beyond the delicious taste of this warm tea and its cultural significance, what’s even more fascinating is the unique way it is poured. Moroccans pour their tea in a very distinct fashion, pouring from at least a foot above the glass. I quickly became intrigued by this interesting technique, inspiring me to learn more about how this technique came about and its purpose.
Cultural significance of tea
“Tea in Morocco is a symbol of hospitality, friendship, and tradition. It is deeply integrated into our daily life,” says Mehdi, Co-founder at TerraFez, a handmade ceramic and brass workshop in Morocco. As a ceramic workshop, TerraFez makes traditional Moroccan tea pots, called Berrad, in ceramic, brass, and copper (and is directly involved with tea culture every day). “The tea ritual occurs throughout the day, before work, during work, before school, when friends or family visit, and before bed as family members gather. And it is enjoyed by the wealthy and the poor alike,” he shares. Most Moroccans drink tea several times a day, depending on whom they meet and their daily activities.”
“When you enter a Moroccan home, tea is prepared and served almost immediately, and refusing it can be seen as discourteous. The act of serving tea is unconsciously seen as a way to build and strengthen relationships, bringing people together regardless of their background,” Mehdi shares.
How Moroccan tea is poured
If you visit Morocco and observe how tea is poured, you’ll find it is always poured from a distance. While pouring tea this way certainly makes for a fancy “show”, this isn’t the only purpose behind the technique. According to Mehdi, the primary reason is to create texture, as the high pour creates a foamy top called Rezza.
“The foam helps trap the minty aroma of the tea and prevent it from oxidizing too quickly,” he shares. Additionally, pouring from a distance helps the tea cool slightly, so it can be drunk immediately, since boiling water is used to steep the tea during preparation.”
Though the Moroccan way of pouring tea may seem easy, it actually poses a few challenges for beginners. “The Moroccan way of pouring the tea is more of a muscle memory kind of skill, but it also involves the quality of the tea pot used. The challenge is to aim the stream of scalding hot tea into a small glass from a height of up to 20 inches without splashing any drops (or as few as possible). Splashing is considered clumsy and messy, for apparent reasons,” he shares. “Beginners usually start low (around 5 to 7 inches) and work their way up as they get more comfortable with it.”
What the high pour symbolizes
Beyond its practical effect, the high pour of Moroccan tea also carries a cultural significance. Mehdi shares that the high pour displays respect: the higher the pour, the more respect it shows the guest. “It also signifies abundance and generosity, as the host pours the tea with enthusiasm.” In Moroccan culture, a low pour of tea suggests a rush and a lack of ceremony, so most hosts will try to pour high to convey more celebration.
