Instead of coffee, Turkish tea is the national drink of the country of Turkey. Your Turkish friends will more likely serve tea every time you visit them at home. They might even send invites so you can meet them in popular tea gardens that are famous destinations for families and serve as a vital part of Turkish culture.
The teahouses in town centers or villages of Turkey are environments dominated by males, with females seen as rare visitors. Ever since the old days of personal interactions, indulging in the daily rituals of drinking tea in Turkey is personal. For most strangers, it also marks the start of beautiful friendships.
Read on below to learn more about Turkish tea and the country’s unique social culture!
Is Turkish Tea Good for You?
In Turkish, black Turkish tea is called Cay. Drinking it is not only a social experience in itself because it also offers a long list of health benefits. Research studies have showed that Turkish black tea can help regulate heart blood vessels, which reduce the chances of heart attacks and strokes.
Aside from this, flavonoids found in black tea can also lower cholesterol, help stabilize metabolism and reduce the risk of diabetes. It is also said that Turkish tea can help with stress and obesity. Statistics reveal Turks drink the highest amount tea in the world, with Turkey ranking as the fifth-highest exporter. It means that everyone can enjoy the health benefits it has to offer.
How to Prepare and Drink Turkish Tea
Turks use a two-tire steel teapot called a caydanlik. Get the bottom pot and boil some water on the stove. Add two tablespoons of tea leaves to the top pot. Fill it with boiling water from the lower pot. Let it sit on top of the bottom pan for up to 10 minutes.
Instead of using cups, Turks drink their hot tea out of little tulip-shaped glasses sitting on the round saucers. To serve the tea, all you have to do is fill the glass a quarter or third of the way up with the tea mixture from the top half of the caydanlik.
Top it up with clear water from the lower pot. Tweak this mixture depending on whether you prefer weak (açik.) or strong (demli). You can also add some sweetness, and then stir before drinks. Turks don’t add milk but love sweetness.
What Type of Tea is Popular in Turkey?
The most widely used black tea brand is Caykur from Turkey’s northeast Rize region. The mild climate of the special place, dubbed as the tea capital of the country, suits green mountainsides covered with plantations.
Being the leading trade in Rize, estimates reveal every second adult belongs to the the industry. Caykur produces the most variations of tea even though RizeTurist is the most extensively sold not just in Turkey itself but also throughout the world.
When visiting Rize, don’t miss the chance to drop by at Caykur tea gardens where you can enjoy a refreshing brew while enjoying fantastic views of the plantations, city, and sea.
Buy Turkish tea today and enjoy a unique drink that reflects the unique social culture of Turkey.
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