Moroccan · Dessert
Moroccan Mint Tea Sorbet
The national drink turned into a dessert — strong green tea steeped with masses of fresh spearmint, sweetened and churned into a bracing, ice-cold sorbet. It captures everything about atay: the tannic green tea, the sweet sugar and the cooling mint, in frozen form.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 600 ml water
- 2 tbsp Chinese gunpowder green tea
- 1 large bunch fresh spearmint
- 180 g sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Method
- 1
Brew strong tea
Bring the water to a boil, add the tea and steep 4 minutes, then strain — you want it strong but not stewed and bitter.
- 2
Steep the mint
Add the mint and sugar to the hot tea and steep 15 minutes, pressing the mint, then strain.
- 3
Chill
Stir in the lemon juice and chill the mixture thoroughly in the fridge.
- 4
Churn or freeze
Churn in an ice-cream maker, or freeze in a tray and rake with a fork every 30 minutes until slushy and set.
Chef's tips
- Do not over-steep the green tea or the sorbet turns bitter; strong and fresh is the goal.
- A little lemon juice keeps the colour bright and stops the sorbet freezing rock-hard.
Frequently asked questions
Which mint is authentic?
Spearmint (na'na) is the Moroccan tea mint — peppermint is too sharp and menthol-heavy for this.
No ice-cream maker?
The fork-raking granita method works well and gives a lovely icy, slushy texture.