Chef Zohra
Atay b Chiba (Moroccan Wormwood Tea)
The cold-evening cousin of mint tea: gunpowder green tea brewed with chiba, the bitter winter herb Moroccans use when na'na is scarce and the house needs warming.
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Lait d'Amande (حليب اللوز)
Created by
Cold almond milk for the festive Moroccan table, silky from peeled almonds, softly sweet, scented with orange-blossom water, and poured beside dates when guests arrive thirsty.
Beverages
Moroccan
Holiday
Celebration
Special Occasion
25 min
Active Time
2 min cook•2 hr 30 min total
Yield6 servings
The almond is the whole drink. If it tastes flat, the glass will taste flat, so start with almonds that smell sweet when you break one open, not old nuts that have sat too long in a plastic bag. For assir louz, حليب اللوز, the drink lives in that first honesty.
Blanch the almonds and slip off their skins. The skins carry bitterness and make the milk dull, so we remove them before blending. Then you grind them long with cold milk until the drink turns pale and silky, strain it fine, and scent it with orange-blossom water at the end so the perfume stays alive.
This is not everyday thirst. It belongs to Ramadan evenings, weddings, Eid visits, and those afternoons when the door keeps opening and you need something generous in the refrigerator. Serve it very cold, with condensation on the glass and dates close by. Une table, c'est une porte qu'on laisse ouverte, a table is a door you leave open.
Almond drinks belong to the wider medieval Mediterranean inheritance carried through Andalusi kitchens, where almonds, sugar, and flower waters moved with trade across Iberia, North Africa, and the eastern Mediterranean. In Morocco, assir louz is especially tied to urban festive service in cities such as Fez, Rabat, Tetouan, and Marrakech, while the almonds themselves often come from southern and mountain-growing regions. Exact dating is difficult, but the combination of blanched almonds and orange-blossom water sits clearly in the old sweet ceremonial register of Moroccan hospitality.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
raw whole almonds
Quantity
200g
preferably beldi almonds
whole milk
Quantity
1 litre
very cold
sugar
Quantity
3 to 4 tbsp
or to taste
orange-blossom water
Quantity
1 tbsp
plus more if your bottle is gentle
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 pinch
ice cubes (optional)
Quantity
as needed
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| raw whole almondspreferably beldi almonds | 200g |
| whole milkvery cold | 1 litre |
| sugaror to taste | 3 to 4 tbsp |
| orange-blossom waterplus more if your bottle is gentle | 1 tbsp |
| fine sea salt | 1 pinch |
| ice cubes (optional)for serving | as needed |
Equipment Needed
- •Strong blender
- •Fine sieve, cheesecloth, or nut-milk bag
- •Large glass jug
Instructions
- 1
Blanch the almonds
Bring a small pot of water just to a boil, add the almonds, and cook them for 1 minute. Drain them, rinse under cool water, then pinch each almond so the skin slips away. Do this while they're still warm, before the skins tighten again.
The peeling matters. Almond skins bring tannin and a faint bitterness, and this drink should be pale, clean, and soft on the tongue. - 2
Chill and soften
Put the peeled almonds in a bowl, cover them with cold water, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you're preparing ahead. Drain well. The almonds should look plump and feel firm but not dry.
- 3
Blend until silky
Add the drained almonds to a strong blender with 500ml of the cold milk, the sugar, and the pinch of salt. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides, until the mixture looks creamy and no large almond pieces remain. Add the remaining milk and blend again until smooth.
- 4
Strain it fine
Pour the almond milk through a very fine sieve, cheesecloth, or a nut-milk bag into a jug, pressing gently to take the milk without forcing coarse almond paste through. The drink should pour like light cream, with no grit at the bottom of the glass.
If your blender is powerful and the drink is already silky, you can strain lightly. If you feel grain under your teeth, strain it properly. La balance est dans les yeux, and here also in the mouth. - 5
Perfume and chill
Stir in the orange-blossom water, taste, and adjust the sugar only if the almonds need it. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Shake or stir the jug before pouring, because real almond milk settles a little, and that's nothing to fear.
- 6
Serve very cold
Pour into small glasses, with ice if the day is hot, and serve beside dates, chebakia, or little almond sweets. The glass should be cold enough to bead on the outside, sweet enough to welcome, and perfumed enough that you smell the orange blossom before you drink.
Chef Tips
- •Use raw almonds, not roasted ones. Roasted almonds pull the drink toward praline, and that isn't this tradition.
- •Orange-blossom water varies wildly. Start with one tablespoon, then taste. Good ma zhar smells like flowers and bitter orange, not perfume.
- •Whole milk gives the old festive body. You can use semi-skimmed milk if you must, but don't pretend it will have the same roundness.
- •Serve it the day you make it if you can. By the next day it's still good, but the flower water softens and the almonds settle more heavily.
Advance Preparation
- •Blanch and peel the almonds up to 2 days ahead, then keep them covered in cold water in the refrigerator and change the water daily.
- •Blend and strain the drink up to 12 hours ahead. Keep it covered and very cold, then stir well before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 185g)
Calories
200 calories
Total Fat
11 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
7 g
Cholesterol
20 mg
Sodium
95 mg
Total Carbohydrates
17 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
16 g
Protein
7 g
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