What Do You Know About Turkish Tea Culture & Tradition?
When visiting Turkey, before going sightseeing, the first thing that catches your eye is people drinking tea from small cups of tea. At every corner in Turkey, especially in Istanbul, tea is served throughout the day, in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Turkish people start their day with tea, and their night doesn’t come to a close without it.
When someone enters a house in Turkey, they bring them tea, and that goes without asking, because it’s an important tradition. If you go to a shop, the shopkeeper, instead of advertising something for sale, pours you tea first. This simple tea culture marks the beginning of a common language, one that everyone understands.
Let’s dive deep into the origin and beauties of Turkish tea culture and explore how Turks brew their delicious cup of tea.
The Origin Of Black Tea in Turkish Culture
Turkish black tea is mostly grown in a city called Rize on the coast of the Black Sea. The area has fertile soil, lots of rain, and humid weather, all of which are perfect conditions for cultivating and growing tea. When you look at this city, you see green hills one after another, laid out like natural green carpets.
Rize tea is famous for its dark red color and unique taste. If you ask Turkish people what tea is the best in their opinion, they will undoubtedly say Rize tea, because no tea in the world tastes like Rize tea. The interesting thing is that Rize tea, along with most other Turkish herbal teas, is 100% organic, meaning it doesn’t have any artificial flavoring or other additives. Just tea leaves and boiling water. It is this simplicity that gives it its real and unique taste.
Other famous brands, such as Çaykur or Doğuş, can be found in almost every Turkish home and you can easily buy them from any supermarket throughout the country. They produce Rize tea as well as several other specialty Turkish loose leaf teas and teabags.
How to Brew Black Tea The Turkish Way?
Brewing tea in Turkey is an art in and of itself. Unlike many countries that use just a simple teapot, Turks use a device called a çaydanlık to make tea. This teapot has two parts: a larger lower kettle, a smaller upper teapot. The lower part contains the boiling water and the upper part contains tea leaves, where they steep.
Here’s how Turks brew tea:
- Bring water to a boil
- Add 2 – 3 teaspoons of Turkish tea into the teapot on the top
- Pour the boiling water into the upper teapot, almost 3/4 full, and allow the leaves to steep.
- Put the teapot on top of the kettle and allow the gentle heat water steam from the lower part slowly hit the teapot.
- Allow 15 minutes for the tea leaves to steep slowly and release their unique flavor.
- Serve and enjoy.
Now it’s time to serve it. The tea is poured into thin, delicate glass glasses called inchebeli or this-waste teacup. These glasses are often plane and clear. This is to showcase the red, clear color of the tea. Turks consider the color of tea to be a sign of quality and say that the clearer and redder the color, the better the tea is brewed.
They often drink tea with a sugar cube or traditional pastries like Baklava. It is also customary to have a slice of lemon on the side of the teacup.
The Role of Tea In the daily Life of Turkish People
In Turkey, tea is an indispensable, essential part of people’s life. In the mornings at home, after lunch at work, in the evenings in cafes, and at night after dinner. Even in the hot summer, people drink hot tea, similar to Iranians, because they believe that hot tea makes the body sweat and cool down.
Tea is also a sign of hospitality in Turkish culture. When someone comes to your house and you pour them tea, it means that you respect and value them. What is more interesting is that if they offer you tea and you say “No!”, they will bring you more! Refusing tea in Turkish culture means distance and coldness.
From big cities to small villages in Turkey, teahouses, also known as cayevi, play an important role in social life. In teahouses, people sit for hours, drink tea, discuss politics, sports, and economics, or play chess, card games, or backgammon.
Differences Between Turkish Tea and Other Countries
Turkish tea culture is unique and different from tea in other countries. For example, in a country like England, people drink tea with milk. In Turkey, however, they never pour milk into their tea. In countries like China or Japan, green tea is more common, but in Turkey, almost everyone drinks black tea.
The interesting thing is that Turks attach great importance to fresh taste. They believe that tea should always be freshly brewed and do not accept leftover or reheated tea at all. They consider it disrespectful. In addition, the color of tea in Turkey is very important. They call it the ruby color. If the tea is clear and red, it means it is brewed correctly.
Conclusion
Tea in Turkey is not just a drink, it is part of the soul of people’s lives. From morning to night, from home to street, from market to beach, the smell of tea is everywhere. Every cup of tea is an excuse for conversation, for smiles, for being together. Turkish tea is a reminder of simplicity and human connection; just tea leaves, boiling water and hearts coming together. Perhaps that is why tea is still the most important symbol of hospitality in this country. If someone brings you tea in Turkey one day, know that it is not just a drink; it is an invitation to relax, talk, listen and touch a part of the real life of the people of that land.
