Hosting a tea party is a great way to celebrate any occasion with your closest friends. If you’re looking to add a touch of exotic flair to your next tea party, why not try throwing a Moroccan tea party?
Organizing a Moroccan tea party can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a little challenging if you are not familiar with Morocco’s tea culture and traditions. I’m sure nobody wants to throw a Moroccan tea party that does not look or represent Morocco right?
So, here is everything you need to know for a successful Moroccan tea party that will have your guests feeling like they’ve been transported to Morocco!
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Tea parties in Morocco
Tea parties in morocco are an everyday thing. I grew up drinking Moroccan tea several times a day with my family and maybe that’s why I’m a heavy tea drinker and not much of a coffee person. Moroccan tea is usually served after every meal and also as a gesture of hospitality when guests come over.
The tea table is usually set with Moroccan colorful tea glasses with a big teapot and Moroccan pastries and an assortment of condiments (Honey, jam, butter, marinated olives…).
Now that I’m thousands of miles away from my home, Morocco, I still make sure to recreate these intimate tea time moments with friends and family and it’s always a great way to catch up and relax over a sweet cup of tea.
So, let me show you how you can also bring Morocco home by throwing a tea party!
How to plan your Moroccan tea party (Step by Step)
Decide on the guest list
Moroccan tea parties are usually small and intimate gatherings unless there is a special occasion to celebrate. If that is so then these tea parties transform into wedding tea parties. Just made that name up but seriously speaking, they tend to become huge with dozens of massive teapots consumed.
Send Morocco-themed invitations
Once you have your guest list, and a set date for the party, think about sending a tea party invitation to make your Moroccan tea party a special occasion. It would be lovely if your invitations reflect the theme or the party.
You can design the invitations yourself using Canva or purchase ready ones online.
Recommended editable invitations:
Purchase your Moroccan tea and related accessories
Let’s start with the basics. Moroccan mint tea is made with Moroccan gunpowder tea, and fresh mint leaves. And extra optional flavors, saffron or rose petals can be added last. But just a dash, you don’t want to lose the flavors of mint and tea.
Recommended gunpowder tea:
To prepare the tea and serve it, you need an engraved Moroccan teapot, Moroccan tea glass cups, and a matching serving tray big enough to hold the teapot and set of glasses.
The size of the teapot and tray will depend on how many people you are inviting. I’ve listed a few options below with different sizes so you can decide.
Recommended Moroccan tea party utensils:
- Vintage Style Handmade Moroccan Silver Teapot (1 Liter)
- Moroccan colorful tea glasses cups (A set of 6)
- Gold Moroccan tea glass cups (A set of 6)
- Traditional Moroccan engraved silver tray round (D15″)
- Modern style silver tray (18″x12″)
Plan the drinks
Since it’s called a Moroccan tea party, you can guess what the main drink is. Right, it’s Moroccan mint tea. But wait should it be with mint? No, Moroccan tea can be made without mint as well, and there’s another authentic form of making it.
During Morocco tea gatherings you may find two teapots next to each other. Sometimes one with mint one without or one with extra sweetness and one with less sugar (Or zero sugar).
So, the idea here is to think about your guests and who drinks what. After all, you want to make sure they enjoy your Moroccan tea party.
However, feel free to have an extra pot of coffee if you see it necessary. Moroccans do have a spicy version of coffee that sometimes competes with the teapot on such occasions.
Decide on your pastries menu
The next thing to do is to plan your pastries menu. Moroccan tea parties typically feature a variety of traditional pastries and sweets, including but not limited to Msemen, Beghrir, Moroccan cookies, and Sello (Moroccan nut mix). While some of these gourmet pastries are complex and hard to make, there are some that are effortless.
I highly recommend preparing at least one or two Moroccan pastries to add that Moroccan bite to your table. I linked a few recipes that I tried myself and I strongly think they are easy to make for a beginner like me. Since I’m not much of a baker myself, I normally serve a few ready-made pastries such as cinnamon rolls, croissants, and muffins.
There is also a savory side to Moroccan tea parties that I forgot to mention. It’s spicy marinated olives. Morocco is the second-largest producer of olives and we have endless options of olives that we love enjoying with some freshly baked bread at tea time.
To satisfy both kinds of appetites among your guests you can add a selection of both savory and sweet treats to the party. Spiced olives that you can prepare at home and mini pizzas are great options.
Moroccan tea party recipes:
Review all the recipes
For your party to be a success, I suggest you review all your recipes after you plan the menu. Prepare the Moroccan treats ahead of time and treat yourself to a cup of mint tea to try your delights.
Time to decorate
You don’t want to go too fancy or extreme with the decor. You can if you like, but a Moroccan rug, a few Moroccan cushions, and a leather pouf will give the party the Moroccan touch it needs.
For the serving table, Moroccan-style lanterns with a few lit candles and Moroccan serving plates would be a great fit for the theme of the tea party.
Moroccan tea party decorations mentioned:
Brew and serve a fresh pot of Moroccan mint tea
While the decorations and treats should be ready before the party begins, the Moroccan mint tea is best brewed only when the guests are there. It only takes about 10 minutes for the whole Moroccan mint tea preparation process. It would be even better if you invite your guests to the kitchen for a lesson in Moroccan tea.
Best for last
Relax and enjoy your guests while musing on the merits of mint tea.
