Camden Town's Mint Tea

Camden Town is unique, kind of bohemian borough in northwest London. I've spent there huge amount of time discovering markets and alternatives, or more correct to say, what was regarded as alternative lifestyles. Roaming of punker, emo and Gothic creatures, antique markets, Stables market and unavoidable soft smell in the air makes you sit and staring around. Fortunately, there's quite many not-so-perfect restaurants here and many food stalls selling Asian, Indian and Arabic food. Whenever I've tried something here, the resembles of tastes was remarkable. Who knows, maybe they have same chef?

Avoiding these food stalls cannot be easy, especially if your belly is signalling unmistakable signs of hunger. But, there's no more worrying when you visit Camden Locks. In centre of cobbled market, somewhere between gothic store and new age gurus, there is a Moroccan restaurant whose name I have forgotten. It is more like Moroccan fast food, but it has superb oriental sofas with cushions from Arabic nights, copper plates on wooden tables and best choices of Moroccan pop. They serve traditional and everywhere present tagines, with or without meat, with couscous. Beside nargila, you can taste traditional Moroccan mint tea. Nowhere else in London I have tried such a nice mint tea as here.
Tea is in Morocco always a green tea and mint is somehow most popular. Tradition of tea making in Northern Africa dates back in 18th century and trade with China which is still main tea producer for Morocco. Moroccan leaders made tea business with whole of Europe and they became masters in it.
Mint has to be fresh and it tea has to be very sweet (sorry, my dear Englishmen, it is too sweet for you – but consider it is not tea that you usually drink). Tea is first being cleaned with boiling water and dried. Later on, it is boiled for several minutes and mint and large quantities of sugar is added. It is served in traditional oriental teapot and one drinks it from little glass.
Camden Town restaurant is one of those places where you can eat and drink as locals do. In this case, locals are British Moroccans, but nevertheless, is is sheer pleasure to meet and taste Morocco in Camden.