Touareg Tea

About

Touareg tea,also called Tuareg tea or Mint tea, is a flavored tea prepared in northern Africa and in Arabian countries and is central to social life in Maghreb countries.

Information

Other names: Spearmint Tea, Mint Tea

Translations: Touareg Tēja, Touareg Τσάι, Touareg arbata, طوارق الشاي, Chá Touareg, Thé à la menthe, Touareg Ceai, Touareg 차, Touareg Tee, Touareg Teh, Touareg Trà, Touareg Herbata, Touareg чай, トゥアレグ茶, Touareg चाय, טוארג תה, Touareg чай, 图阿雷格茶, Touareg Te, Туарег Чај, Touareg Чай

Physical Description

Touareg tea is a herbal tea.

Colors: Pale greenish-yellow

Tasting Notes

Flavors: Mint, Fruity

Mouthfeel: Cool, Strong

Food complements: Lamb, Peas, Fruit salad, New potatoes

Substitutes: Peppermint tea

Selecting and Buying

Choosing: Make sure the tea is not damp in any way. The leaves of fresh plants should be healthy and a nice green color.

Buying: Touareg tea can be found in health food stores and ethnic marts. It can be purchased in bulk or in teabags.

Procuring: Spearmint, the herb used to make touareg tea is grown in the wet soil typically found in the Central and Southern areas of Europe. One of the herbs most important growing and producing locations is Monaco.

Preparation and Use

The spearmint leaves are steeped in boiling water to produce the tea. Alternatively the touareg tea is mixed with green tea to create a milder and less pungently mint tea.

Tea preparation in Arabian or North African countries includes pouring the steeped mixture into a glass and back into the pot, back and forth several times to mix it before adding sugar to it for sweetening. The final glass is poured from a distance above the drinking vessel to push the leaves to the bottom.

This tea helps relieve stomach aches and it is also used to reduce or eliminate excessive hair growth on women.

The tea can also be mixed with black tea to counteract the bitter taste found in black tea.

Spearmint tea is also used for relieving bouts of asthma headaches and nausea.

Cleaning: Cleaning the fresh mint leaves is done by putting the leaves in a bath of boiling water. Draining the leaves and then steeping the cleansed leaves in a new pot of boiling water to complete the final brew.

Conserving and Storing

After preparing the tea it can be kept warm for a short while and served warm or it can be refrigerated and served iced.

Social/Political

Touareg tea is also commonly prepared in Arabia and in Northern Africa. The tea in these countries is prepared by the men and served to guests in generous portions which usually total three glasses.