Any time is tea time!

      After having sipped innumerable cups of hot, sweet, minty refreshing Moroccan tea, I couldn't help comparing all tea traditions from Britain, India, China and Japan.  Tea provides a moment of pause, a time to socialize, to sweeten and refresh.  In Morocco, any time is tea time- before a meal, after a meal, a beverage of welcome, a drink to say goodbye! The preparation is elaborate too - from the silver teapots to the selection of the right mint leaves, and the just the correct number of sugar cubes to sweeten the palate.  But the real trick in Moroccan tea is the method of pouring it into the glasses.  It can even be a competition...who can pour higher and longer? The higher the stream of tea, the thicker the froth - and that, my friends, is what really matters! The tea is hot but the air in the bubbles ensures just the right balance of temperature in your mouth! The small glasses, often with bright colors and gold designs are filled with the exact amount of frothy liquid to refresh your palate.

     If there is tea, can cookies be far behind? Moroccan cookies take the prize for elegance, taste and a huge variety of flavors, shapes and sizes!

    Today we visited Haj Mekki Lahrizi in his beautiful country home outside Casablanca.  The couscous lunch was delicious but it was the tea ceremony that stole the show!






Shukran, Lahrizi family, for your hospitality, and for sharing your heart and home with us!




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