Nov
09
Filed Under (Malian culture) by Rob on 09-11-2010

Tea drinking is a big thing in Mali, which is interesting for a Brit like myself (another tea-drinking culture). However the way tea is served in Mali could scarcely be more different than the English way.

Looks more like Guiness than tea, eh?
Well, first of all you boil the pot on a small charcoal stove like this one:


(image from this blog)

Then it is poured from a height into a small glass (not a china cup) and back into the pot, to cool it down and (I guess) aerate it a bit. This process is usually repeated two or three times before the first ‘cup’ is served.


(image from this site).

To complete the entire ‘Malian tea-time’ (which can take place at almost any time of the day or night), you must have the three cups. After the first, more water and sugar are added to the pot, and the same again for the third cup. Hence, Malians describe the three cups as follows:

First cup: amer comme la mort (bitter as death)
2nd cup: sucré comme l’amour (sweet as love)
3rd cup: doux comme la vie (sweet/agreeable as life)

This originates in a Maroccan proverb, according to this website. Click here for clear directions on how to make Malian tea and here for an interesting site giving the history of tea.

Meanwhile, here I am enjoying a Malian ‘cuppa’ with a Tamasheq guy in Bamako:

Fascinating stuff, and your trip to Mali is not complete without the three cups. However, I do suggest you try them in the morning, especially if – like me – you’re sensitive to caffeine!



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