Turkish tea

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Turkish tea

Turkish tea (Turkish: çay) is a type of tea that is popular mainly in the Turkish-speaking countries. In Turkey, Turkish tea tends to be more popular than Turkish coffee among the younger generation.^{[citation needed]}

Introduction

Çaydanlık

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 showing its colour, with lumps of beet sugar. To a lesser extent than in other Mediterranean countries, tea replaces both alcohol and coffee as the respectful 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

Tea is an important part of the Turkish culture. Offering tea or coffee is considered to be a sign of friendship and hospitality,^{[citation needed]} at homes, bazaars and restaurants, usually after a meal. Despite its popularity, tea became the widely consumed beverage of choice in Turkey only in the 20th century. It was initially encouraged as an alternative to coffee,^{[citation needed]} which had become expensive and at times unavailable in the aftermath of World War I. Upon the loss of territories after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, coffee became an expensive import. At the urging of the founder of the republic, Atatürk, Turks turned more to tea as it was easily sustainable by domestic sources. Turkish tea is traditionally 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 herbal tea

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

A glass of Rize tea.

See also

• Samovar
• Ayran
• Turkish coffee
• Salep
• Boza