Shared by Michel Thouati
Shared by Michel Thouati
Mint Tea With Pine Nuts, Honey, and Lemon
Yield: 8 servings
Mint Tea With Pine Nuts, Honey, and Lemon
Yield: 8 servingsFamily Journey
Andalusia, SpainTétouan, MoroccoGibraltar
Oran, AlgeriaParisArzew, Algeria
Nice, FranceBerkeley, CA
Raised on French naval bases around the world, Michel Thouati spent long stretches of his childhood living far away from his extended family. When his father had time off, the family would visit and catch up with relatives. This included traveling to France to celebrate Passover with Michel’s maternal grandparents, Laure Orovida Benoliel and Robert Josue Benoliel. A prolific and knowledgeable cook, his grandmother Laure made tables full of food, featuring generations-old Sephardic recipes like lamb with peas, artichoke hearts and honey. “Just looking at the table was wonderful,” recalls Michel. In between courses, she served this tea with mint, lemon and pine nuts, a refreshing palate cleanser for guests.
This recipe was shared by Michel Thouati. Read more about his family in "Preserving a Five-Century Long Link to Andalusia at Passover and Beyond" and try his recipes for Lettuce and Fennel Salad, Orange and Olive Salad, and Guizadas de Pessah (Passover Almond Macaroons).
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons gunpowder tea
- 1 bunch fresh mint or spearmint
- Seeds of 4 green cardamom pods
- 8 teaspoons whole pine nuts
- 1 cup honey
- Juice of 1 lemon
Preparation
Step 1
Place the gunpowder tea and cardamom seeds in a tea ball. Add the tea ball into a teapot with 2 pints of boiling hot water. Steep for 3 minutes, make sure not to steep the tea for too long. Remove the tea ball.
Step 2
Bruise the mint with the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside.
Step 3
Set 8 glass tea cups on the table. Put 2 tablespoons of honey into each glass. Add 3 large mint sprigs and 1 teaspoon of pine nuts into each glass. Pour the tea into each glass. Add about ½ teaspoon of lemon juice into each glass.
Step 4
Serve hot.
