We are making 3 tea recipes from around the world! The countries featured in this post are Morocco, India, and Japan. I’ve had Moroccan Mint Tea and Chai from India before but I show you how I make both in more traditional ways. I also make traditional Japanese matcha for the first time! Let me know what you think about the teas and stories in this post! If you have a dish or beverage you would like to see me make and talk about, feel free to share!
Moroccan Mint Tea
The origins of Moroccan mint tea are a bit unclear due to the many narratives shared throughout history. What I will say, however, is that Moroccan mint tea is important because it accompanies everyday life and helps ease social relations. This beautiful drink is also a symbol of hospitality and friendship. This tea is usually prepared in front of guests as well!
Fresh mint leaves are the backbone of Moroccan mint tea. What was great about living in Morocco was that mint was everywhere so having this tea as often as you like at any time of the day was not a problem. I am a huge fan of Moroccan food but there is something special about this tea that warms my heart.
In my opinion, this delicious beverage pairs beautifully with a variety of edible items but my favorite way to enjoy my tea is with moroccan sweets!
Indian Chai
India was the last country I lived in and I still have deep ties to the culture, food, and its people (and in particular my friends). This recipe comes from my good friend Vailli!
When ask what is the significance of Indian chai to Indians and her family, Valli said,
“It’s a family drink. Especially when spices are added. It has herbal significance like healing cold symptoms or a sore throat.
Tea is something everyone can afford from very poor families to the rich. It is mostly offered when guests visit homes. If you wanna have easy, friendly, or tough conversations tea is an ice breaker”.
Japanese Matcha
Matcha is shade grown Japanese green tea leaves that are ground into a fine powder. Matcha has been enjoyed by many for centuries as a way to support well being. It is said that Monks used matcha to help with concentration during meditation.
In Japan, matcha is a focal point in culture and today due to its widespread popularity, matcha is enjoyed throughout the world.
Matcha comes in a variety of grades which denotes quality and helps consumers know which tea powder is best for specific purposes. Due to its subtle and smooth flavor, ceremonial matcha is used for traditional tea preparation. Though one may use one type of matcha over another, the choice is up to you!
To prepare matcha in the more traditional sense, we are using a bamboo scoop, called a chashaku, a sifter, and a bamboo whisk called a chasen. I am also using what we will call our matcha bowl to mix our tea and drink it once the process is complete!
I loved researching, making, and trying these 3 teas from around the world! Creating this post was a lot of fun and I hope you enjoyed it too.
To see more videos of food from around the world click here.
For more recipes, click here.
3 Easy Tea Recipes From Around The World | Morocco, India, Japan
Moroccan Mint Tea
I use to live in Morocco and mint tea is definitely one of my favorite beverages. This tea has been adapted to suit my preferences. Feel free to add more or less of any of the ingredients listed.
- 2 tablespoons gunpowder green tea ((use regular green tea if you can't find gunpowder green tea))
- 4 cups water
- 1 handful mint leaves and sprigs (if you don't measure by hand like I do, you can add 4-6 mint springs with leaves to your tea)
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar
Boil water in a kettle or pot. Clean and heat up kettle or pot with a splash of hot water and swirl it around. Pour out water.
Add green tea leaves to your teapot, then add 3/4 cup of boiling water to cover the leaves. Let sit for a minute. Swirl water and tea around.
Pour a cup of tea into a glass. This is called the spirit of the tea and it will be used in the final product (you may be able to get two cups of this type of tea).
Add a little more water to the teapot and discard the remaining dark tea.
Add the spirit of the tea to your tea pot, 3/4 cup of water, a bunch of fresh mint, and sugar. Fill the pot with remaining boiling water, allowing tea to steep for 5 minutes.
To serve, pour tea into serving glasses.
Indian Chai
This recipe comes from my friend Valli. I met her when I lived in India. One day, I invited her to my home and she taught me how to make chai. Now this is the recipe I use when I have a chai craving!
- 2 tsp black tea leaves
- pinch cardamon ((optional))
- pinch ginger ((optional))
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tsp sugar ((add more to suit your taste))
Tea preparation with water
Take two cups of water. Bring it to a boil.
Simmer then add two teaspoons of black tea leaves and bring it to a boil until the tea becomes darker and thicker (optional: you can add cardamon or ginger (slightly crushed) and bring to a boil).
Add one cup of boiled milk and add two teaspoons of sugar (if you like your tea sweet you can add more to suit your taste).
Bring to boil , remove from heat and filter in a cup. Serve hot.
Japanese Matcha
A beautiful drink to calm and center you for the day.
- bamboo scoop
- bamboo whisk/electric whisk
- bowl
- sifter
- 1 tsp ceremonial matcha
- 2-4 oz water
Place sifter over bowl.
Add 1/2 teaspoon to sifter.
Use the bamboo scoop to sift the match into bowl. This will help remove clumps.
Pour 2 oz of hot water into bowl.
Using a whisk, vigorously whisk the match back and forth until a froth appears.
Optional: you can add more water to lighten the flavor.
Enjoy your match straight from the bowl!
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- Welcome to My Channel!: https://youtu.be/j5ISWeMz36Y
Make your own match at home:
Encha Ceremonial Organic Matcha: https://amzn.to/2LrsEvQ
Jade Leaf Traditional Matcha Starter Set: https://amzn.to/2LrsEvQ
