Fresh Mint Tea

I've always kept some mint tea bags in my tea stash for a little bit of digestive soothing. Well that has recently changed. I had a mint tea awakening after experiencing Moroccan tea served with every meal while spending time in Marrakech.

Moroccans drink mint tea as a part of social bonding and community, and also because of the health benefits. It's made up of mint sprigs, green tea (it's a type of tea called gunpowder), water, and sugar. The menthol in the mint soothes the stomach and helps with headaches and nasal congestion. The green tea and mint are rich in antioxidants and there's caffeine in the green tea for a lift.

Fresh mint tea is purely about the soothing menthol, antioxidants, and herbal peppermint (or spearmint) flavor. There's no caffeine, which makes it easy to drink any time of day or night. Sometimes I add a drizzle of honey to mine, but feel free to add your sweetener of choice, or none at all.

My teapot has a strainer built into the top, so I add the loose mint leaves and pour the water over it and let it sit for a bit. You can also use a french press if you have one. Or a regular teapot works as well, especially if it has a narrow spout to prevent the leaves from escaping.

There are many types of fresh mint. I use spearmint or peppermint to make fresh tea, and spearmint is the easiest to find in local markets. Spearmint has textured, bright green leaves while peppermint has smooth, dark green leaves.  Spearmint is milder and sweeter than peppermint mostly because peppermint has more menthol in it. Peppermint has a stronger fragrance when rubbed or crushed between your fingers or muddled in a mortar and pestle. Enjoy!