Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: M&K’s Tea Company on Etsy
Tea Description:
A popular tea prepared in the North Africa region, Moroccan Mint is prepared with fresh spearmint leaves and Chinese gunpowder green tea, which is tightly rolled into small pellets. Lemon Verbena is also used to give it a little taste of lemon flavor. We recommend this tea sweetened.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I received this Moroccan Mint Green Tea as part of my Wintertime Sampler Pack that I ordered from M&K’s. This isn’t a special “seasonal” tea but it is one of the most unique Moroccan Mint teas that I’ve ever tasted!
What makes this one so special? Well, like some of the best Moroccan Mint teas I’ve tried, the tea base for this is a Chinese Gunpowder Green. To give it the “Mint” – M&K’s chose not just one minty herb, but two: spearmint and peppermint. But then they added Lemon Verbena to give it just a hint of citrus. That bright, sunny note of lemon gives this crisp, minty drink just the burst of flavor it needs to make it just a little different.
The citrus-y tone isn’t a loud flavor. It doesn’t overwhelm the flavors that make a Moroccan Mint tea what it should be. It just adds a little extra to the cup. I like that!
The Gunpowder green is a smooth green tea with hints of earth. It’s not overly vegetal. I think I mentioned in a previous review that I like the combination of gunpowder green teas with mint – that in my mind, this is the making of a true “Moroccan Mint” tea. Other Moroccan Mint teas that use other teas as a base just seem to miss the mark for me. It’s a little earthy but not too grassy or vegetative. It has a light smoky tone in the background. I find these flavors to be a nice contrast to the cool, crisp notes of the mint without it tasting too “herbaceous.”
I also enjoy the combination of spearmint and peppermint in this blend. I usually prefer peppermint because it’s a bit more zesty than spearmint, but I like the way these two work together to provide a minty taste to this cup without it tasting too minty. I’m not drinking mouthwash, I’m drinking tea. And this tastes like tea with a fresh, cool minty taste. Perfect.
This is one of the best Moroccan Mint teas I’ve tasted – and in my years as a tea reviewer, I’ve tasted quite a few!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 7 from Teanzo 1856
Seasons Greetings on Day 7! There are just eighteen days left until the big day and just seventeen shopping days left until that day!
Yesterday, I shared with you a holiday ornament that I made by decoupaging papers onto a paperboard coaster and attaching a cool fringe-y element. The highlight of that particular project was the paisley design, because as I’ve mentioned already, I love paisley. I go wild when I see something paisley.
So, I thought I’d share something that I made for another year’s 12 Day of Christmas gift swap. I was Day 1 in this swap, a fact I remember mostly because the project that I made turned out to be very “pear-like” – unintentionally – but it was still really cool because I was day 1 (Partridge in a Pear Tree.)
For this project, I upcycled a few burned out light bulbs. Then I used a resin clay and covered the threading of the bulb. This served two purposes, one, it covered up the metal threading, plus it enabled me to attach a wire loop to the ornament and seal it in with the resin clay. After the resin clay had set, I started decoupaging different papers. After each of the layers had dried, I finished the decoupage with a paisley napkin, and then after that was dry, I painted the bulb using shimmery paints and added rhinestones and sparkly fibers. I finished it off with a pretty purple ribbon.
I was quite proud of this project. I tend to be a bit of a pack rat (I think that most artists are) and at that point, I had accumulated a lot of burned out light bulbs and my husband was quite annoyed that I had a box full of burned out light bulbs. He would ask, “What are you going to do with them?” This! This is what I did with them.
Let’s see what tea Teanzo sent me for Day Seven!
Moroccan Mint Green Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Whisk away to the culturally diverse Kingdom of Morocco. Slightly larger than California, Morocco is known as “an oasis for the senses”, with its rich culture, mesmerizing natural landscapes and magnificent architecture.
Moroccan Mint tea is Morocco’s drink of hospitality, and is served throughout the day to welcome guests at home and in business. Moroccan Mint Tea is a refreshing combination of gunpowder green tea with mint. Serve it hot or over ice, or mixed with a little lemonade.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ah! I was happy to find a Moroccan Mint in this Advent Calendar box, and even happier to see that it was a Moroccan Mint with a gunpowder green tea base. Yeah, I’ve had Moroccan Mint teas with other tea bases: black teas, other green teas, and I’ve even had at least one Moroccan Mint that was just mint. No Camellia Sinensis. Still tasty, yes. But, it didn’t need the fancy “Moroccan Mint” title. It could have just had the “mint” because that was what it was.
But this one tastes like the Moroccan Mint teas that I originally fell in love with – a refreshing burst of mint with the complex flavors of a Chinese gunpowder green tea. These two elements seem so well suited for one another.
To brew this sample pouch, I again reached for my Kati tumbler and poured the contents of the pouch directly into the basket. Then I added 12 ounces of hot water (I heated it to 175°F) and let it steep for 2 minutes.
The gunpowder is sweet, earthy and just a wee bit vegetal. I find those vegetal tones to be very complementary with the herbaceous quality of the mint. There is a hint of smoky quality to the gunpowder – a distant smoky note – a compelling contrast to the fresh notes of the mint.
The mint isn’t overdone in this blend. This doesn’t taste overly minty. It’s not mouthwash-y. It adds a delightful fresh note without overpowering the palate with minty vibes. It’s a touch of crispness to the earthy gunpowder green tea.
This tea resteeps well. The flavors taste a little more unified when resteeped and I like that seamless taste. A very enjoyable cup!
Berber Tea Blend from Tay Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tay Tea
Tea Description:
The light and sweet Moroccan spearmint is a crisp counterbalance to the rich, smoky gunpowder green tea. So refreshing, this tea goes down easy. Re-steep this tea a few times to let the rolled gunpowder tea unfurl and release its full flavour. If you want to get authentic with this tea, sweeten it until your heart’s content.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! Minty! After I opened this Berber Tea Blend from Tay Tea, the first sampler packet from this month’s Amoda Tea Tasting box that I decided to try, I was a little overwhelmed by the fragrance of mint. The aroma reminds me of Wrigley’s Spearmint gum. It’s very, very minty.
The strong minty scent worried me a little. I started thinking this was going to end up tasting more like a mouthful of toothpaste than a cup of tea. Fortunately, this doesn’t taste quite as much like toothpaste as the aroma led me to believe. I am happy to say that I can taste the flavor of the gunpowder green tea in this tea as well as the crisp flavor of spearmint, and while it is a minty tasting tea … as I’m sipping it, my palate recognizes that I’m drinking tea and not mouthwash that has been heated up and poured into a teacup.
The Moroccan spearmint was a good choice to use in this mint tea blend, because I generally find spearmint to be a “lighter” tasting mint than peppermint. I’m also finding that this spearmint seems to unite with the gunpowder green tea to create a smooth flavor. The spearmint is crisp and refreshing, but not overpowering.
The gunpowder green tea is light and sweet, and there are some vegetal notes that meld beautifully with the herbaceous tones of the spearmint. It all comes together in a very pleasant way. The texture of the liquid is somewhat broth-y which offers an intriguing contrast to the invigorating mint flavor.
It’s a very clean and fresh taste. It’s revitalizing but also soothing. I’m not about to say that this is my favorite tea that I’ve ever pulled out of my Amoda Box, but, I am enjoying it, and I’m happy that I got this opportunity to try something from a new-to-me company like Tay Tea. Thanks, Amoda!
Moroccan Mint Herbal Tisane from Numi Organic Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Numi Organic Tea
Tisane Description:
Our organic Moroccan Mint, known as “nana mint,” flourishes in North Africa. With a flavor as light and lively as a newly picked leaf, it has a sweet spearmint flavor that is refreshing and soothing any time of day.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I received a bag of this Moroccan Mint Herbal Tisane from Numi Organic Tea in my May Goodies box. And while I was happy that Goodies sent me tea (I love it when I get tea in my foodie tasting boxes), I’m a little disappointed too … as it would seem to me that the people at Goodies don’t seem to realize that tea should be loose leaf. *sigh*
When I opened the pouch holding the tea bag, I could smell the fragrant mint. It reminded me of the aroma I’d experience if I opened a package of Doublemint Gum. Very fresh, very minty!
The flavor is very minty too. No big surprise there, right? It has a vibrant, crisp and cool taste that leaves the palate feeling fresh. But what I’m liking is that it’s not … hitting me over the head with minty flavor … which is kind of surprising because my experience with pure mint has been a very strong minty taste. This is lighter … more subdued. Nice … but surprising.
Then I read the description from Numi which states that this is Nana mint … which is a cultivar of spearmint. (Learn more about it here) The Nana mint is a milder variety of mint … which explains why this is more subdued. I don’t recall having tried Nana mint before … so this might very well be a first for me.
I liked it … didn’t love it … but it makes me curious about Nana mint and I think I’ll be seeking out other teas with Nana mint so that I can have more experience with this herb.
Moroccan Mint from The Boston Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Boston Tea Company
Tea Description:
Keep on rockin’ with Moroccan! Mint, that is! Try this Chinese Gunpowder variety of long-leaf green tea, hand-rolled to form tiny pellets and blended with fragrant Moroccan Mint leaves. When steeped, the tea leaves unfurl, releasing their delicate flavor which, combined with the mint, makes for a uniquely refreshing cup every time! It’s lovely iced, too!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love many different types of flavored teas, and I wouldn’t even say that Moroccan Mint is my favorite, but I will say this, I’d be hard-pressed to find a tea that is more refreshing than a Moroccan Mint! The fresh, cool taste of mint combined with the delicate, sweet flavor of a high-quality Chinese gunpowder green tea leaves my palate feeling clean and refreshed while invigorating me from within.
This Moroccan Mint from the Boston Tea Company is splendid! It has the flavor I’ve come to expect from a top-notch Moroccan Mint tea. It’s minty, but not overpoweringly so. It’s sweet and tastes fresh and zesty, and it’s cooling even when served hot (which is how I’m sipping it now).
Before steeping, I poured some of the leaves into my palm, just to get a good look at it. I could see the tiny pellets of the gunpowder tea tossed amongst the bits of mint leaves. I liked that while the mint leaves were broken to uniform size, they were not pulverized into dust and the pellets appeared to be pretty uniform in size and shape too. And – no surprise! – it smelled minty fresh.
While this is delicious hot, it is equally as nice served iced and as I said at the start of this review, it’s easily one of the most refreshing teas out there – something that you’ll want to keep stocked up on as these hot summer days seem to go on and on! This is great for cold-brewing too!