Welcome Ritual · Tea with Pine Nuts
Thé aux Pignons (Tunisian Pine Nut Tea)
Photo: Henning Leweke / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
The pine nuts are dropped into the glass before the tea is poured, and whether they float or sink to the bottom depends on exactly how much sugar is in the glass.
This is strong green tea steeped with fresh mint and heavily sweetened, then poured over a scattering of raw pine nuts sitting in the glass. It's served everywhere from home living rooms to street cafés across Tunisia, and is a common welcome offered to guests.
Why it's made this way: Offering a glass is considered an essential gesture of Tunisian hospitality, and the pine nuts (sometimes swapped for almonds or peanuts) mark it as distinctly Tunisian rather than generic North African mint tea.
More from Tunisia
Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries.
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