1000 Foods (pg. 704) for information, recipe is my own creation

            Mint tea is popular across North Africa, with numerous regional variations. Mimi Sheraton discusses this in the text on page 704. We’ve already discussed the Moroccan variety, with lots of mint and a bit of green tea. Egyptian mint tea has less mint, more tea, and uses black tea instead of green. It’s similarly sweet, and is sometimes flavored with warm spices. I use a clove, a piece of cinnamon stick, and a pinch of cardamom for a flavor that’s present without overwhelming the mint. Note that black tea is brewed at a slightly higher temperature than green, so it can be added to the hot water right away.

            Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 sprigs fresh mint
• 2 teaspoons black tea leaves
• Sugar to taste
• 1 piece cinnamon stick, 3 to 4 inches
• 1 whole clove
• Small pinch ground cardamom

            Directions:

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove, tear, and bruise the mint leaves. Place in a teapot or strainer cup with the tea leaves and spices.
2. Add boiling water to the mint, tea leaves, and spices, and steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Strain into teacups, adding a pinch of sugar or more to taste.

            In Egypt, the tea is usually a lot sweeter, kind of like the sweet tea popular in the US Southeast, but served hot. Personally, I don’t like that much sugar, and prefer tea unsweetened in most cases. Flavored teas like this one are an exception, but a pinch of sugar per teacup or a few per mug is plenty.