Tea came to Tunisia only at the beginning of the 20th Century, brought by Lebanese immigrants. Black or green teas are, like cigarettes, a state-controlled import, and labeled exclusively by OCT (the Tunisian Office of Commerce).

To make the best tea, attention should be paid to the teapot, the quality of the tea itself, the quality of the mint used, and the quality and temperature of the water.

“El barrad” (the teapot) – those most prized are made from very fine Chinese pewter. However, excellent tea can be made using a china teapot.

“Ettay” -- tea. The best teas are from China. Green tea can be finely powdered, or longer in shape and larger, folded to make small balls.

Due to the OCT monopoly, Tunisians don’t have much of a choice in teas apart from the green variety (“akhdar”) and the black (“ahmar”). However, it is possible to find excellent teas on the so-called parallel market, some of them from Libya. However, care should be taken to avoid tea that is too finely powdered.

In times past, “hachicha” tea (literally “drug tea”), mixed with sugar (“sdess”) could be bought. The proportions were 5 g of tea for 50 g of sugar, or – in the case of “thlith wa mya,” 10 g of tea for 100 g of sugar. The mixture was wrapped in a “kortass” (folded packet) made of cardboard (“achkaham”). Tea could be bought at cafes, or else from itinerant merchants. The most famous was indoubtedly Chedly Masrouki whose stall in the Souk is remembered by many.

“Nanaa” – mint (menta virdis). Mint used for tea can be fresh, but its leaves must be flattened, washed, and dried in a clean cloth, or dried. In addition to mint, one can also add to tea the following ingredients: lemon peel (“karess”); pine nuts (“bondok”), the best being from Iran or Turkey; peanuts (“cacawiya”); or grilled almonds {“louz”).

“El Ma” – water. Tea should be placed in a hot teapot (“barrad”), and a half glass of boiling water poured on top. By rotating the wrist, the teapot should be gently swished, in order to wet the tea. This water should be discarded, after which the teapot is filled with water and placed a few instants on a smoldering coal fire (“kanoun”), or simply over hot vapor for the tea to steep. Sugar can be added before or during this last operation.

In order for tea to have its full aroma, it should be lightly sweetened, not drowned in sugar in the manner of “mrammaji” (construction workers). In Tunisia, it is drunk from a small tea glass called a “kass trabelsi” from Tripoli.

Green tea is said to reduce cellulitis due to its favorable action on circulation. Tea also contains theobromine and theophiline used to dilate the bronchial passages in the case of asthma, and also the coronary arteries.

Mohamed Rebai
info@kairouan.org