Tea, the heartbeat of daily life in Mauritania

Reported by Jean-Christophe Brunet. Originally published by Global Voices on 22 July 2024. This is an archived report; dates and circumstances refer to its original publication.

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, i nitially imported from China i n 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. T hree words sum up t his ritual: jmaa (the group), jmar (the embers), and jar (time) . The website Les Toiles Maures offers further information:

(…)Jmar refers to the charcoal embers in the “canoun,” on which the small tin teapot is placed to heat the water.

The term jar, meaning slowness, is used here in reference to the dance of the same name, characterized by its extremely slow movements. The slow infusion of tea leaves, along with green mint, releases their delicate aroma (…)

Jmaa means the group, the assembly, because tea is rarely prepared for just one person. This beverage is the thread connecting everyone present, with the small generous teapot serving each person their drink, bitter like life, sweet like love, and smooth like death (…)

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 :

A conversation without tea is inconceivable. It brings people together, allows them to interact as equals for a while. The tea maker must be aware of the situation and time the tea to end as the conversation does. It sets the rhythm of life.

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:

First, the tea is rinsed with hot water. It is then placed in a teapot with a carefully measured amount of water and boiled for a while. Next, the person preparing it, the “tea maker,” pours and repours the drink into multiple glasses, creating foam in each one. The drink is then reheated, sweetened, and flavoured with mint before being served hot in small glasses that retain the essential foam, which some people prefer not to drink.

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:

In nearly all Mauritanian homes, from the affluent neighborhoods of Tevragh-Zeina, the jewel of Nouakchott, to the most remote corners of peri-urban areas, this beverage is served three to four times a day. In fact, this is the minimum frequency as, sometimes, tea flows continuously from morning until bedtime.

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:

The first glass is bitter like life, the second strong like love, and the third sweet like death.

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 :

The entire Mauritanian population drinks tea 24/7; it's an integral part of their life, so it always sells. For Mauritanians, the crisis may affect food purchases but not tea purchases.

Regarding how often and where it is consumed, Cheikh Sidya adds:

Tea is served constantly in all governmental and private offices, so much for productivity. Some street vendors sell tea in various locations throughout the day. Even during journeys in trucks or buses, Mauritanians cannot do without tea. Apprentices use mini gas stoves to prepare tea and serve it to travelers without the need to stop.

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:

For diabetics, those with anemia, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular insufficiency, tea is often not recommended. But is this advice actually followed? For a Mauritanian, it's tough. They would have preferred a different prescription!

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.

Image credit

Cover context image: Tea time in Mauritania 2. This archival or illustrative image is not presented as a photograph of the reported event. Creator: IssamBarhoumi. Original image and full attribution. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and compressed for web display; the image retains its stated license.

Publication credits

Written (Français) by Jean Sovon Translated (English) by Jean-Christophe Brunet. Original report published by Global Voices. Republished under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0. Adapted for Gistmax: formatting simplified; duplicate original-language quotations and embedded media omitted; cover photograph replaced. This republication does not imply endorsement of Gistmax by the author or publisher.