{"id":3698,"date":"2026-10-29T15:29:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T07:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sowocn.com\/blog\/?p=3698"},"modified":"2026-10-29T15:29:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T07:29:30","slug":"is-9373-gunpowder-tea-used-in-moroccan-mint-tea-4006-a1cc47","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sowocn.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/29\/is-9373-gunpowder-tea-used-in-moroccan-mint-tea-4006-a1cc47\/","title":{"rendered":"Is 9373 Gunpowder Tea used in Moroccan mint tea?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey folks, let\u2019s cut to the chase right off the bat \u2014 if you\u2019ve ever Googled \u201cdoes 9373 gunpowder tea go into Moroccan mint tea\u201d you\u2019re definitely not alone. As someone who\u2019s been supplying this specific tea grade for over a decade, I field this question at least twice a week, mostly from small caf\u00e9 owners, home brewers, and even other tea suppliers who want to nail their Moroccan mint brews. Spoiler: the short answer is yes \u2014 but let\u2019s get into the messy, real details that no generic blog post will tell you, because this isn\u2019t a one-and-done use case, it\u2019s a whole culture and a business line. 9373 Gunpowder Tea<\/a><\/p>\n

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First, let\u2019s back up for anyone who\u2019s new to 9373 gunpowder tea. I\u2019m gonna keep this simple, no stuffy tea textbook jargon. 9373 is a China tea grade code, right? It\u2019s not random numbers slapped on a bag \u2014 that code tells you exactly what\u2019s in it: it\u2019s young, plucked tea leaves (usually the first and second flushes, early spring growth), rolled tight into tiny, gunpowder-like pellets (hence the name, because they look like old black powder musket balls). The \u201c93\u201d at the start is the tea processing type (it\u2019s green tea, steamed then rolled super tight to lock in freshness), and the \u201c73\u201d is the leaf size and quality \u2014 not too big, not too small, consistent pellets, no broken bits. It\u2019s way sturdier than lower-grade gunpowder tea, which is why it\u2019s perfect for Moroccan mint tea.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about Moroccan mint tea for a sec, because it\u2019s not just \u201cmint + tea\u201d \u2014 it\u2019s a national symbol. I\u2019ve been to Marrakech twice for trade shows, and every riad\u2019s rooftop tea service is the same: three pours, a big silver teapot, tons of fresh mint, and that distinct sweet, herby taste you can\u2019t get anywhere else. The traditional stuff uses what locals call \u201ctaita\u201d mint \u2014 it\u2019s a spearmint variety with a sharp, sweet, almost grassy kick, way better than grocery store mint you\u2019d pick in your backyard. And the tea base? Every Moroccan tea maker I\u2019ve worked with (and that\u2019s been a lot, from small family vendors in F\u00e8s to big import houses in Casablanca) swears by 9373 gunpowder tea. Why? Two big reasons: it holds up to heat and multiple infusions, and it doesn\u2019t get bitter when you add loads of sugar.<\/p>\n

Wait, I know what you\u2019re thinking \u2014 why not use another green tea? Let\u2019s get into the science of it, because I\u2019ve tested this myself (I do blind side-by-sides in my warehouse every month, don\u2019t judge). Lower-grade gunpowder tea (the stuff that\u2019s cheaper, broken pellets, older leaves) will get harsh and bitter when you steep it with hot mint and sugar for a long time. Loose-leaf green tea like sencha will fade fast, you\u2019ll only get one good pour before it\u2019s watery. Even other gunpowder grades, like 9375 or 9370, aren\u2019t the same. 9373 has a balanced caffeine level \u2014 enough to give you that gentle pick-me-up after a meal, but not so much that it makes you jittery, which is important because Moroccan mint tea is drunk all day, not just in the morning.<\/p>\n

I remember a few years back, a caf\u00e9 owner from Brooklyn hit me up, saying his mint tea was tasting \u201coff\u201d \u2014 he\u2019d been using a random gunpowder grade from a supplier down the street, and it was coming out bitter, even though he was using the same taita mint and sugar as his Moroccan competitor. Turns out he was using 9375, which is a slightly larger pellet, more mature leaves. Once he switched to 9373, he texted me a pic of his teapot the next day, saying his customers were raving \u2014 and he ordered 50kg that month. That\u2019s the thing about 9373: it\u2019s not a \u201cfancy\u201d tea for sipping plain, it\u2019s a workhorse. It\u2019s made to stand up to the chaos of mint tea brewing.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk brewing specifics, because that\u2019s where a lot of people mess up, and it ties directly to why 9373 is the go-to. Traditional Moroccan mint tea is brewed with about 1 teaspoon of 9373 pellets per person, right? You boil water, pour a little into the teapot to preheat, dump the pellets in, add a tiny splash of hot water first to wake them up, then let them sit for 30 seconds (not longer \u2014 that\u2019s another mistake people make, steeping gunpowder tea too long). Then you add a huge bunch of fresh mint, like half a cup per pot, and a ton of sugar \u2014 like 1\/4 cup for a small pot, more if you like it sweet. The pellets hold their shape so they don\u2019t cloud the tea, and they release their flavor slow enough that every sip has a bright green tea taste, not just mint and sugar.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s get into the supply side, because I\u2019m a supplier, so I know this is why people ask. A lot of new tea suppliers don\u2019t get that 9373 is a seasonal tea. We source ours from small family farms in Fujian and Zhejiang, plucked in early April every year, during the first flush. If you\u2019re buying 9373 outside of March-May, it\u2019s either last year\u2019s stock that was stored wrong, or a different grade passed off as 9373. That\u2019s why I tell all my clients \u2014 if you want authentic Moroccan mint tea, don\u2019t buy cheap bulk \u201cgunpowder tea\u201d from a random Alibaba listing. Make sure it\u2019s genuine 9373, stored in airtight, temperature-controlled bags, and sourced from a supplier who actually knows the grade code.<\/p>\n

Wait, I should address a common myth I see online: some people say you can use other gunpowder grades for Moroccan mint tea, and that\u2019s technically true, but it won\u2019t be the same. I\u2019ve tasted mint tea made with 9370, which is smaller pellets \u2014 it steeps too fast, gets bitter in the second pour. 9375 is too big, so it doesn\u2019t release enough flavor, so you end up adding more mint to compensate, which makes it taste grassy. 9373 is the middle child, and it\u2019s perfect. It\u2019s like the Goldilocks of gunpowder tea for mint tea.<\/p>\n

I also had a client from Toronto a few months back, a restaurant owner who does a Moroccan brunch every weekend. He was using a different tea grade, and his tea was costing him way more than he needed to, because he had to use twice as much tea to get the same flavor. Once he switched to 9373, his tea costs went down by 20%, and his reviews went up. He told me that regulars kept asking if he\u2019d \u201cupped his tea game\u201d \u2014 no, he just used the right tea.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s get into some real talk about what makes a good 9373 for mint tea. When I receive a shipment, I do a few quick checks before I even sell it. First, I look at the pellets: they should be uniformly small, dark green, no yellow or brown bits (those are old leaves). Then I crush a pellet between my fingers \u2014 it should be dense, not crumbly. If it crumbles, that means it was rolled too thin, and it will break apart when brewed, making the tea cloudy. Then I do a quick steep test: 1 minute in hot water, taste it. It should have a fresh, vegetal taste, no musty or earthy notes (that\u2019s bad storage). That\u2019s the stuff that works for mint tea.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s wrap this up with why this matters for you, whether you\u2019re a home brewer, a restaurant owner, or a tea lover. If you\u2019ve ever tried to make Moroccan mint tea at home and it tasted like \u201chot sugar water with mint,\u201d you were probably using the wrong tea. If you\u2019re a caf\u00e9 or restaurant owner, switching to genuine 9373 gunpowder tea will not only make your tea taste better, it will save you money long-term because you use less tea per pot.<\/p>\n

Now, I get it, sourcing the right 9373 can be a hassle, especially if you\u2019re new to the game. I\u2019ve dealt with suppliers who send me fake 9373 before, so I know how frustrating that is. That\u2019s why I only source from trusted farms, test every shipment myself, and make sure my clients get exactly what they ask for \u2014 no cheap imitations, no hidden stuff, just real 9373 gunpowder tea.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re looking to place an order, or you have questions about brewing, storage, or how much you need for your caf\u00e9 or home use, just reach out to us. We\u2019re here to help, not just sell tea. We can give you brewing tips, tell you when our next shipment is coming, and make sure you get exactly what you need to make the best Moroccan mint tea around.<\/p>\n

3505 Gunpowder Tea<\/a> References:<\/p>\n