Turkish tea

Turkish tea

Turkish tea (Turkish: çay) is a type of tea that is drunk by most people living in the Turkic speaking world and the Horn of Africa. Moreover, it is drunk in Iran, Tajikistan, and Western China or Chinese Turkistan^{[citation needed]} Turkish tea is more popular than Turkish coffee among younger people in Turkey.

Introduction

Turkish tea, called çay, a form of black tea, is produced on the eastern Black Sea coast, which has a mild climate with high precipitation and fertile soil. Turkish tea is typically prepared using two stacked kettles (çaydanlık) especially designed for tea preparation. Water is brought to a boil in the larger lower kettle and then some of the water is used to fill the smaller kettle on top and steep several spoons of loose tea leaves, producing a very strong tea. When served, the remaining water is used to dilute the tea on an individual basis, giving each consumer the choice between strong (Turkish: koyu; literally "dark") or weak (Turkish: açık; literally "light"). Tea is drunk from small glasses to enjoy it hot in addition to show its colour, with lumps of beetroot sugar. To a lesser extent than in other Muslim countries, tea replaces both alcohol and coffee as the social beverage.

Within Turkey, the tea is usually known as Rize tea. Virtually all of the tea is produced in the Rize province, a Turkish province on the Black Sea coast.

In 2004 Turkey produced 205,500 tonnes of tea (6.4% of the world's total tea production), which made it one of the largest tea markets in the world Furthermore, in 2004, Turkey had the highest per capita tea consumption in the world, at 2.5 kg per person—followed by the United Kingdom (2.1 kg per person).

Background

The Turks evolved their own way of making and drinking the black tea which became a way of life for Turkish culture. Wherever people go in Turkey, tea or coffee will be offered as a sign of friendship and hospitality, at homes, bazaars and restaurants, before or after a meal.

Despite its popularity, tea became the widely consumed beverage of choice in Turkey relatively recently, in the 1930s. The nation's founder, Atatürk, encouraged tea as an alternative to Turkish coffee, which had become expensive and at times unavailable in the aftermath of World War I. Coffee had to be imported, mainly from Brazil, whereas tea was easily sustainable domestically.

Turkish tea is full-flavored and too strong to be served in large cups, thus it is always offered in small tulip-shaped glasses which are usually held by the rim, in order to save the drinker's fingertips from being burned, as the tea is served boiling hot. Turkish tea drinkers often add sugar, but milk is not traditional. Turkish tea may be served either lighter (weaker) or darker (stronger) depending on the drinker's taste, as Turkish tea is made by pouring some very strong tea into the glass, then diluting it with hot water to the desired strength. Serious tea-drinking people (generally Turks) usually go to a coffee and tea house where they serve it with a samovar (Turkish: semaver) or urn, so they can refill their glasses themselves as much as they want.

When the Turks lost Mocha city in Yemen, coffee became an expensive import, and Turks turned to tea.

Rize tea

Rize tea or Çay is a form of black tea. Produced in Rize Province on the eastern Black Sea coast of Turkey which has a mild climate with high precipitation and fertile soil, it is crystal clear and mahogany in color. It is drunk everywhere in Turkey, anytime. It is served in Turkish cafés by a çaycı (tea-waiter), in small, gold-rimmed, narrow-waisted glasses. It can be taken strong ("koyu" dark) or weak ("açık" light), and is accompanied by two or three lumps of beetroot sugar.

When the Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1923, the Turks lost Mocha in Yemen, and coffee became an expensive import. They turned to tea.

Tea plantation in Rize.

File:08 rize.jpg

Tea plantation in Rize.

Turkish herbal tea

In Turkey, herbal teas are also popular, with apple (elma çayı), rose hip (kuşburnu çayı), and linden flower (ıhlamur çayı) being the most popular flavors.[2] Sage tea (ada çayı, also called "island tea") is most popular in the Mediterranean coastal region.

External links

• Turkish tea page from All About Turkey site
• Turkish tea page
• Turkish Tea at TurkishCook.com

Credits

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