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What is atay?
Atay is Moroccan mint tea — gunpowder green tea brewed with fresh spearmint and sugar and poured from height into small glasses to aerate the liquor. It is drunk throughout the day and is the reason Morocco is the largest destination for Chinese tea: 91,000 tonnes in 2025, 99.85% of it green. Morocco took more than a fifth of China's tea export volume that year.
| Element | Implication for the exporter |
|---|---|
| Gunpowder base | Grade 3505 with the sub-grade suffix fixed; 9375 for volume |
| Daily consumption at scale | 91,000 t a year; a handful of large importers |
| One national specification | USD 3,043.4 per tonne in 2025, below China's USD 3,691.2 average |
| Residue control | ONSSA maximum residue limits under Order 156-14; non-conforming product refused |
| Retail packs | Mandatory label content in Arabic, other languages optional; HS 0902.10 for packs of 3 kg or less |
Guide
Why is Morocco priced below the average?
Morocco's USD 3,043.4 per tonne in 2025 sat 17.5% below China's all-destination average of USD 3,691.2. Part of the gap is category: 99.85% of Morocco's tea from China is green tea, the lowest-priced export category at USD 3,368.2 per tonne. Senegal, drinking a close cousin of the same tea, paid USD 4,024.6.
How do you make Moroccan mint tea at home?
Rinse about a tablespoon of gunpowder green tea with a little boiling water and discard it, add a large handful of fresh spearmint and sugar to taste, fill the pot with boiling water and steep for a few minutes. Pour from height into small glasses to aerate the tea and raise a foam.
Moroccan tea is green tea, but not just green tea: it is gunpowder brewed strong with mint and sugar, and each household adjusts the balance. For iced mint tea, brew it double strength and pour over ice. In Tunisia, mint tea is often served with pine nuts in the glass, and strong black tea is also widely drunk.
Frequently asked
What tea is used for Moroccan mint tea?
Chinese gunpowder green tea, principally grade 3505, with fresh spearmint and sugar.
How much tea does Morocco import from China?
91,000 tonnes in 2025, worth USD 280 million — the largest destination for Chinese tea.
Is Moroccan mint tea always made the same way?
No. Households, cafés and regions vary the tea strength, mint variety, sweetness, washing step and pouring method. Gunpowder green tea, fresh mint and sugar are common elements, but there is no single recipe that represents every buyer. For a commercial programme, approve the base tea against the target cup and local preparation.
Which tea is commonly used for Moroccan mint tea?
Gunpowder green tea is a common base because its rolled leaf, brisk cup and strength work with mint and sugar. Chunmee or other green teas may also be used according to local preference and price point. Buyers should test the finished drink, not judge the dry tea alone, before selecting a grade.
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