Tea With Mint (shaybel Ne3 Na3) Recipe

Boil water

Pour 4 cups of fresh cold water into a medium saucepan or kettle. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.

Steep tea leaves

When the water reaches a full boil, remove from high heat so it is still very hot but not violently boiling. Add 2 teaspoons of black tea leaves. Return to a low boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute (this helps release color and base flavor).

Add mint and sugar

Reduce heat to low. Add 1 cup of rinsed fresh mint leaves and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the pot. Stir once to dissolve sugar. Let the mixture simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes so the mint infuses the tea. Taste after 3 minutes and simmer up to 2 more minutes if you prefer stronger mint flavor.

Steep off heat

Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Allow the tea and mint to steep, covered, for an additional 3 minutes to deepen the aroma without over-extracting bitterness from the tea leaves.

Strain

Using a fine mesh sieve or tea strainer, pour the tea into a teapot or heatproof pitcher to remove tea leaves and mint solids. Press lightly on the mint/leaves with the back of a spoon to extract the final aroma, but avoid forcing too much bitterness.

Adjust sweetness and citrus (optional)

Taste the strained tea. Add more sugar by the teaspoon if you want it sweeter. If you like a brightness contrast, squeeze half a lemon (about 1/2 fruit) into the tea and stir.

Serve hot

Pour the tea into warmed cups or glasses. Garnish each cup with a fresh mint sprig. Serve immediately while hot.

Serve iced (optional)

To serve iced, let the strained tea cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled (about 30–45 minutes). Fill glasses with ice, pour the chilled tea over ice, add an extra mint sprig for garnish, and serve.