By Jean Sovon
In Mauritania, tea is part of the national cultural heritage. Consumed at any time, it creates the space for an essential ritual of socialization.
Mauritanians discovered tea in the 1860s. This green tea, initially imported from China in large quantities, was reserved for the upper classes. However, this interest in tea quickly spread to other segments of the population. More than just a drink, tea has become a true ritual that gives meaning to daily life in all communities of the country. Three words sum up this ritual: jmaa (the group), jmar (the embers), and jar (time). The website Les Toiles Maures offers further information:
There is no situation or context that is not suitable for tea consumption: gatherings between colleagues or friends, christenings, business negotiations, weddings. In 2010, Ely ould Allaf, former Minister of Culture of Mauritania, explained to the German channel Deutsche Welle:
Tea making follows a process that must be meticulously respected. In an article about Mauritanian tea, Cheikh Sidya, a correspondent for the website le360 in Nouakchott, outlines the specifics involved in preparing tea:
In this video, Mauritanian women explain the importance and value of tea in Mauritanian tradition, its significance, and its preparation.
Tea, several times a day
Tea is consumed without limit: upon waking, every Mauritanian drinks a glass to start the day, a gesture repeated countless times throughout the day, during breaks at work, and in conversations with friends and family. In his article on the subject, Cheikh Sidya explains:
Whenever tea is served in public, each person must drink three glasses. This obligation carries a specific meaning as Chingi Tours, a tourist information site about the country, explains:
Even during economic crises or rising food prices, the pace of tea consumption remains unchanged. Ould Mohamed Mahmoud, a wholesale merchant, explained to Deutsche Welle:
Regarding how often and where it is consumed, Cheikh Sidya adds:
The impact on health
While tea is highly prized in the country, the ingredients used in its preparation, especially the significant amounts of caffeine and sugar, are responsible for some of the health issues affecting Mauritanians. In response to this situation, Dr. Sidi ould Zahaf told Deutsche Welle in 2010:
In 2021, there were warnings about pesticide contamination in tea leaves in the country, prompting numerous analyses. According to the website Mauriweb, in June 2024, Dr. Mohamed Baba Saïd, a Mauritanian chemist and chemistry professor at Clermont-Ferrand University in France, concluded that the results confirmed the presence of toxic substances.
Given the large number of tea drinkers in the country, these multiple health risks can impact the Mauritanian population extensively.
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This post was previously published on globalvoices.org under a Creative Commons License.
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Photo credit: Drew Jemmett on Unsplash
The post Tea, the Heartbeat of Daily Life in Mauritania appeared first on The Good Men Project.