Mint tea

Poured from high up, in a long foamy, fragrant stream that fills the little glass without spilling a drop, mint tea in Morocco is far more than a drink. It's a ritual, a language all of its own. You share it on arrival, in the shade of a palm grove, on a rug laid straight on the ground or under the canvas of a bivouac, and turning it down would almost be like turning down an outstretched hand.

The recipe is simple and jealously guarded: gunpowder green tea, a generous handful of fresh mint, and plenty of sugar. You prepare it carefully, you pour it, pour it back into the pot to blend it, taste, adjust. People say the three glasses traditionally served each have their own character: the first bitter like life, the second strong like love, the third sweet like death. True or not, the saying tells you plenty about the place this drink holds in daily life.

This tea sets the rhythm of the day and seals every encounter. It's offered to the traveler, the neighbor, the stranger passing through, and that single gesture opens every door. Accepting a glass is stepping into someone's life for a moment, taking the time to sit down when you were in a hurry, listening to a story you only half understand but that warms you all the same.

On my raids, these tea breaks are suspended moments. We cut the engines, pull off the helmets, breathe out, talk, and it's often there, more than out on the piste, that the adventure takes on its full meaning. The CDM Motorsport experience →

More about the destination:official Morocco travel site →