Moroccan Sun Tea

moroccan iced tea

Summer is my favorite time to enjoy iced tea. This recipe is based on the sweet mint teas brewed in traditional Moroccan households to greet visitors and beat the heat. In Africa, gunpowder tea is brewed and flavored with spearmint or absinthe and then sweetened with copious amounts of sugar. This recipe hopes to honor the wisdom of using green tea and mint to cool the body but without quite as much sugar.

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon of water
  • 2 tbsp green tea leaves (Chinese gunpowder is best) or 3-4 green tea bags
  • 1 handful of fresh spearmint sprigs or 1 tbsp dried spearmint leaves
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • Borage flowers may be used to sweeten and decorate the tea

Equipment

  • 1 glass gallon jar or ice tea jar
  • 1 closable tea strainer (tea ball) if using loose tea
  • measuring spoons
  • 1 stirring spoon
  • 1 sunny day

Procedure

  1. Fill the jar with water.
  2. Measure the green tea leaves into a large tea strainer (tea ball) or several tea balls if necessary.
  3. Add spearmint sprigs to the water or add dry spearmint to a tea ball with the green tea and add it to the water.
  4. Hang tea strainers from the lid so they dangle in the water or hang green tea bags over the lip of the jar so the bags are soaking in the water.
  5. Reseal the quart jar and place the container in a sunny, hot location like a bench or a window sill.
  6. Let the tea steep for at least 2 hours.
  7. Bring in the sun tea to cool and remove the green tea bags or strainer.
  8. Add the sugar and stir in thoroughly.
  9. Serve with ice and Borage flowers if desired.

Storage and Use

Store your Sun Tea in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Remove fresh herbs after 24 hours to prevent spoilage. Stir again before serving if the tea has been sitting for more than a few days.

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