Ingredients
Tea
- 3 tbspChinese gunpowder green tea
- water
Sugar
- 150 gor more, added in rounds
Optional
- fresh mint, for the later rounds
- a few peanuts, sometimes added
Equipment
- a small enamel or metal teapot
- a charcoal brazier or small stove
- small glasses
To serve
- three rounds, in sequence, with company
Directions
- Use a generous quantity, since the leaves are used three times.
- Put the tea in the pot, add a little boiling water, swirl it and pour that first water away. That rinse washes the dust off the leaves and takes the harshest edge off, and it is standard.
- Bring it to a boil and let it boil for several minutes. Add sugar, sparingly for the first round.
- Pour the tea from the pot into a glass from as high as you can manage, then pour it back into the pot.
- Repeat this several times, between glasses and back into the pot. That pouring from height does real work: it aerates the tea, cools it to drinking temperature, mixes the sugar through and builds the thick foam.
- Add more sugar each round.
- Boil, pour and foam it in the same way. The whole sequence takes an hour or more, which is entirely the point.
Technique
- Attaya, ataya and atay are the same ritual under other regional names.
- The pouring from height aerates the tea and builds the foam.
- Leaving before the third round is considered impolite.
Substitutions
- Any Chinese gunpowder green tea.
- A small metal teapot and a gas ring in place of charcoal.
Variations
- With mint from the second round.
- With peanuts added to the pot.
- Made stronger or sweeter to local taste.
History
The Bissau-Guinean version of the Sahelian tea ritual, brewed over charcoal and drunk slowly with friends.
Frequently asked questions
What is Warga?
Warga is a drink from Guinea-Bissau: green tea brewed in three sweet rounds and poured foaming into small glasses. The Bissau-Guinean version of the Sahelian tea ritual, brewed over charcoal and drunk slowly with friends.
How long does Warga take to make?
Warga takes 10 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 3 rounds for 4 people. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Warga?
Yes, within limits. Any Chinese gunpowder green tea. A small metal teapot and a gas ring in place of charcoal.
What is the most important thing to get right in Warga?
Boil, pour and foam it in the same way. The whole sequence takes an hour or more, which is entirely the point.
