In some Eastern countries, tea is systematically served by lifting the teapot very high, which is the case in Morocco, sometimes 1 meter above the glass. A rather dangerous practice since the water is often extremely hot. Then why are they doing this?
At first, you might think it’s just for aesthetics since it is true that it is quite pretty. But that’s not really the only reason why it’s done. The second reason that seems conceivable and would be logical would be to cool the tea since we said that the water was really hot. Yes, it is true that pouring down water from a height, cools down the tea, but again that’s not just why this procedure is applied.
The real reasons why Moroccan tea is poured from a height
Moroccan tea is poured from a height for those single purposes: as a commune Moroccan ritual, to mix well the three ingredients that make up Moroccan tea, to cool down the tea, and to facilitate digestion.
To make tea you have to boil water. But in doing so, the tea loses some of its oxygen. A drink made with such water can be very difficult for the stomach to digest. Especially if like tea it is slightly acidic.
By making the tea poured from very high, we oxygenate it. So much that bubbles can appear when the water reaches the glass. Also, transferring the tea several times from glass to glass similarly allows air to be introduced into the tea again. Oxygenated, the very hot water remains therefore digestible!
In addition, all three ingredients that make up Moroccan tea are mix well, and oxygen reacts with the odorous substances of the mint and strengthens its fragrance. Of course, all these operations end up cooling the drink and making the process beautiful…
Pouring Moroccan tea from a height is a customary ritual of the Moroccan population; the higher the tea is poured the more it shows that you respect the guest.
