What is special about Turkish tea?

What is special about Turkish tea?

Turkey is a tea-growing nation, the most important in the Middle East.

Although to a lesser extent than major producers like China, India, Kenya, Japan and Sri Lanka.

We can easily conclude from this knowledge that this country has a tradition of tea.

Have you ever tasted Turkish dark tea?

Do you know the differences between them and the tea we normally drink in the West?

Read on and find out everything you need to know.

Beginnings of Turkish tea.

The origin of Turkish tea in Turkey is a major symbol of hospitality.

Every time you visit a home, you will be offered a cup and the good thing to do is to accept.

It gained in popularity during World War I.

When coffee was hard to find and very expensive, particularly after the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

Tea appeared as a good alternative and is now the most popular beverage of the country.

The vibrating red color is the main feature of this tea.

Turkey variety “Cay” is black tea.

Properly packaged, it can last up to 2 years.

It is one of the countries that consumes the greatest amount of tea in the world: 5 pounds per person per year, on an equal footing with England and Ireland

Related article: Which teas are made from the same plant as green tea?

About the word tea or Cay.

It is very interesting to see the similarities between the words we use to make reference to this drink all over the world.

In Spanish te, in Italian teh, in Malaysian teh, in English tea, in French tea.

In Turkish, the word we use is ÔÇ£ayÔÇØ, in Kurdish, in Portuguese ch ├í, in Korean (cha) and in Thai (cha).

It draws attention to so many similarities existing in this word for such different languages.

And what might be more curious is what happens in many Spanish-speaking countries, which is that saying “chai tea” can be a great nonsense for someone Turkish…

It would be like going into the shop and ordering tea.

Now, if you want to understand why the basis of this word possesses these two forms, which are common in most languages of the world.

It would be wise to uproot the origin of tea and its culture: China.

Cultivating tea in Turkey.

Tea growing in Turkey takes place along the Black Sea coast, from the Georgian border to the Turkish city of Rize.

Many people grow tea in their house gardens for their own personal use.

This region has a humid climate throughout the year, in addition to being characterized by high temperatures during spring-summer, variables associated with the subtropical climate that are ideal for the cultivation of tea.

However, in the winter, temperatures are low, causing frosts which can damage the tea plant.

Because of this, the harvest lasts six months, usually in three cycles.

However, unlike the culture of tea in other countries, here the harvest is performed with hand scissors rather than by hand.

Related article: 7 Good reasons to drink iced tea.

What is special about Turkish tea?

The preparation of the tea is quite unique: one teapot on top of another, called “Aaydanl”.

They may be made of glass, or the lower metal and the upper porcelain, as the latter is that presented to the guests.

The tea is placed in the Turkish teapot over it while the water boils in the bottom.

Already boiling, part of the water is transferred to the upper teapot to infuse the leaves.

Tea is served in small tulip-shaped glass cups and each person lowers it to their liking with the hot water left in the lower teapot until they reach one of three intensities:

Koyu — dark, stronger than any, with very little water to reduce.

Tav’an kana — literally means ÔÇ£rabbit bloodÔÇØ and allows you to appreciate the reddish reflections of tea.

A’k — the lightest teapot prepares the tea and the other one provides a water level.

The tea is very strong and served boiling; you can add sugar but not milk.

The Turkish tea cups are so famous that about 400 million are sold each year and are used as the standard unit of measure in recipes.

Turkish tea facts.

A special double tea pot is used to keep tea production always hot and ready to serve, without it being bitter.

Turkish tea is served in small glasses as opposed to cups.

Being an intense tea, it is reduced with water to the taste of the consumer.

The size of the glass in which it is served allows the tea to never get cool.

First, because its format keeps the heat and second, because it’s so rich that that little portion won’t last you long.

The choice of glass for Turkish tea glasses is not random: its transparency allows to appreciate the intensity of the tea.

Turkish tea is traditionally drunk very sweet is normal for you to serve it in a restaurant with two or three pieces of sugar on the side.

Related article: What are the good and bad health effects of black Tea?

How come the Turks drink so much tea?

This black tea is considered a health-enhancing beverage because of its antioxidant properties.

Many argue that tea helps regulate the harmful effects of alcohol or smoking.

It is a product of the same country.

The Turks when it comes to tea are self-sufficient and the truth is that the Black Sea region is a broad and fertile ground to produce tea for a long time.

They strongly believe that tea after meals can help improve digestion.

Many social life stories in Turkey revolve around Turkish Cay.

When you have close friends with people from Turkey.

You will find that one of the first things they give you when visiting a Turkish home is Cay.

Even in many restaurants, the Cay is free, with the traditional Turkish breakfast.

This is very inexpensive. We have already seen that Turkish tea is a national product.

So as you do not have to pay import charges and so on, this makes it a cheap product.

The Turks have been, without exaggeration, one of the greatest tea consumers in the world.

The biggest consumers, if you will!

Related article: 7 Good Reasons to Drink Iced Tea.

Recommendations during the consumption of Turkish tea.

As we are already aware, Turkish tea is served very hot, really.

It is therefore important and almost essential that you take your cup some of the upper edges.

Although if your cup has some other kind of holder to hold it, you will not have this problem.

Depending on what you’re eating, you can add sugar to your Turkish tea.

Usually, in Turkey sugar will be found in cubes, and somehow by introducing them into your tea and dissolving them with the cute spoons they give you with tea, it is something that helps you cool the tea quickly.

Related article: Is Iced Tea Good for You?