"I empty a sachet of tea into the teapot, and add three glasses of water -- five
if there’s a bigger group of us. I put the pot on the stove [which is a small metal
brazier] until the water boils. Then I put fresh mint and sugar into a second teapot, and
pour the hot tea onto them. I hold the pot so high that it creates foam and cools the tea
so you can drink it quickly. I pour the brew into the glasses, and share them among the
group. We take our time over the tea, chatting around the teapot on the stove."Making
and drinking tea like this isn’t just for old men. All over Mali, you will see young
men making tea together. People start at different times. I like the taste of tea now, but
when I first started, I found it a bit bitter."
Dramane Oumar Samaké, age 12, Sogoniko, Mali
Making
and drinking tea is also an important part
of life for people in the United
Kingdom.
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