Sweet Moroccan Mint

Fatima was plump and timid, dressed in a brightly colored jilaba and mismatched headscarf.  She did not speak English, nor we Arabic, but her smile was the glowy kind that only the kindest souls possess and she communicated by gesturing at the tray in her hand.  She was asking if we’d like a cup of tea.  Desperate for caffeine, we nodded enthusiastically and smiled back at her.  She set tiny, hand-painted glasses on the tray, lifted an old, worn, silver teapot high into the air and poured with expert precision while the foot-long reach of tea miraculously landed in the cup beneath a layer of bubbly foam. 

Over the course of the next three months, we would see this ritual performed time and again, but this was our first and she had us captivated.  The tea was deliciously sweet.  That first time all I tasted was the sugar, which chased away the jet lag as it coursed through my veins.  We had been warned off drinking the tap water here in Morocco, but we had also been warned against declining an offer of tea.  The ceremonial serving of sweet mint tea holds the essence of the Moroccan culture of hospitality. 

Gunpowder green tea arrived in Morocco in the 1800’s from Europe.  Since then, the Moroccans have made it their own using generous amounts of mint and sugar, flavors that differentiate it from other Middle Eastern teas.  The gunpowder green is rinsed with boiling water, re-boiled with a handful of mint sprigs, and three spoons of sugar for every spoon of tea.  Once the tea boils, three to five cups are poured then dumped back into the pot to stir the flavors before it is poured and served from high above the little glass, resulting in a layer of foam. 

Day drinking is a significant part of café culture in Morocco.  Men sit outside cafes all turned to face the busy streets, sipping the sweet tincture they call, Berber whiskey.  This would be unnerving to passerby if it was indeed whiskey.  As it is, the men are good natured and hospitable, albeit wired. 

This continuous overdose of caffeine and sugar among Moroccans and tourists alike may explain the stimulating energy of the Marrakech medina.  The tea has its place in negotiations, meetings, hotel hospitality, and social interactions.  I have had mint tea in Berber tents in the middle of the Sahara Desert, with vendors in the medinas of Marrakech and Fez, in little shops on the road over the Atlas Mountains.  I even sipped the brew while negotiating camels for my hand in marriage, though my sense of irony didn’t translate and I was forced to part from my fiancé for the first and final time. 

I have never had sweet Moroccan mint tea outside of Morocco.  I think it would lose its charm.  Indeed the ritual, the people, the sounds, the bright colors, and spicy smells of the country are all part of the taste and tea itself.  

All Natural Ginger Mint Tea

Because it's been tough to find loose leaf tea in Los Angeles out in the valley (mostly because I no longer have a car) I've been improvising.  I've been waking up in the morning and making ginger mint tea with all natural ingredients.  I peel and slice four to six large medallions of fresh ginger root and take a handful of mint  sprigs and put them in my teapot.  I let the pot scream out a full boil, then I turn the burner on low and let the tincture simmer for ten minutes to let the flavors steep.  I squeeze a lemon wedge into my mug and pour the brew on top.

I've talked about this before, but ginger, mint, and even lemon have lots of health benefits.  When I'm having indigestion or nausea or any other kind of stomach malady, I brew up some ginger infused water and the effect is immediate.  When I don't have ginger handy I go to the mint, which has a similar effect but is not quite as potent.  Also, cafes (and Starbucks) never have ginger tea, but they always have a caffeine free mint herbal.



As a person with arthritis, I also benefit from ginger's anti-inflammatory magic.  I used to turn to caffeine in the morning to help loosen up my joints.  While that did make a significant difference, my entire system is better off without the caffeine.  Ginger in my morning brew has taken over as my morning dose for easing my joints into the day and at the same time benefits my immune system.  This anti-inflammatory effect doesn't just benefit the joints though.  It also means it's a great treatment for things like migraines and menstrual cramps because it reduces the swelling of the blood vessels causing pain.

Mint has several health benefits as well, most of which I have talked about before.  Something new I learned recently though, is that mint not only freshens breath, which is a no-brainer, it also kills the germs that cause bad breath and is beneficial to the gums.  Another good reason to add mint to my morning tea!

Goddess Tea

Before yoga today, I was flipping through the new issue of LA Yoga and reading an article called Growing Tulsi, by Prashanti de Jager.  I am always fascinated by the ways in which nature has the ability to remedy so many of our human maladies and Tulsi is one of these important and Ayurvedic herbs.  This article gives the how-to's and talks about the benefit of growing Tulsi (also known as holy basil) and about its positive affects on the lungs, nervous system, and adrenals.  I've also read that it can reduce stress, sharpen memory, and assist our focus and concentration.  It supports and enhances the immune system and promotes heart health, increases stamina, and its leaves purify the air where it is grown.  Most notably for me, it relieves inflammation and improves digestive health.

I'm always one to pay very close attention to the herbal tea section of a menu and, from my experience, it is rare to see Tulsi tea on it.  But today at lunch, there it was.  Talk about a sign.  I ordered it.

It tasted, to me, a lot like green tea without the bitter, dry after taste.  Though it's an herbal, caffeine free tea,  it's a dark which surprised me and yet has a mild flavor, I enjoyed it.  I even had the server refresh the water and send me with a to go cup, which I somehow managed to get home on my bike without crashing.  Yes, I was that obnoxious LA bike driver with one hand on her coffee cup.

When I got home, I reached for my laptop so I could continue learning about the plant.  What I found was so interesting.  Aside from its medicinal attributes, I found that Tulsi is actually named for the Hindu Goddess, Tulsi or Tulasi, the goddess of loyalty.  In fact, the plant itself is considered sacred in India and most homes have at least one plant in their homes or enshrined in their gardens.  In India, people drink the tea or swallow the leaf whole with water as if taking a pill, so certain are they of its medicinal properties.  The Goddess Tulsi is said to be a gentle female energy and I was told by one website that growing her leaves in my own home or garden will bring beauty, health, elegance, and grace into my life.  I like the sound of that.  Stay tuned for tales from my own Tulsi Goddess garden...