Turkish Tea (Çhai): A Taste of Turkey in your Hands

I got back from a fabulous vacation in Turkey this past weekend. It was a 12 hour flight from Istanbul to Vancouver, and the trip itself was fully packed, so I was a little jet-lagged. Turkey is a country with so many stunning places to see and exciting things to do. I will blog about my travel sometime this year, so watch the space. In today’s post, let me introduce you to black Turkish tea that I tasted for the first time in Turkey and loved. Here you can watch the video, too.

When you think of Turkey, you may picture its bustling bazaars and people drinking Turkish coffee. However, you will be surprised to know that Turks start their day with freshly brewed tea, called ‘çay’ (pronounced, Chai) and drink it throughout the day. While coffee is equally popular, it is drunk more sparingly. Served ‘black’ in small thumb-sized, tulip-shaped glasses, what sets it apart is the way it’s traditionally brewed.

It is believed that tea was first introduced to Turkey by Silk Road traders in present day Turkey during the 5th century, who used gorgeous silks for chests of loose-leaf tea from China. Initially, it was used by very few people and was mostly used in perfumeries. Gradually, it began to appear on breakfast tables and became a popular beverage throughout the country. The consumption of tea increased significantly in the 20th century when the government began to promote tea cultivation in the Rize region (source: Wikipedia).

Today, tea is produced in various regions throughout Turkey and has become a part of the social culture. Everywhere—be it shops, cafes, restaurants, offices, homes, or bazaars—tea is offered as a sign of Turkish hospitality and sincere, friendly relations. When waiting for a hairdresser’s appointment or browsing for pottery, or carpets, don’t be surprised if the salesperson offers you tea; it’s a way of welcoming the customer. Being a tea lover myself, I not only drank this traditional Turkish tea for breakfast but also enjoyed it wherever our tour stopped during the day. I learned how to make it from the tour guide and bought a couple of packages so I could make it at home.

Brewing a Turkish Tea

You can make Turkish style tea with any good quality black Rize tea. To test the quality, add a few tea leaves to a cup of water. If the color changes slowly, you’re good to go. If the color changes too quickly, choose a different brand. I was told that Turkish people make tea with distilled water to get a clean and crisp taste. Their Tea is deep, rich, and smoother with a slightly bitter aftertaste balanced by a subtle sweetness. This flavor is achieved through a specific brewing process using two stacked kettles designed for tea preparation. It is called a çaydanlık. The bottom kettle is used to boil the water, while the top kettle is used to brew the dense black Tea. The number of cups you want to serve dictates how many tea leaves should go into the small kettle. Usually, it’s about one teaspoon (alternatively you could use a tea bag) for 2 cups (their cups are small). The design of the çaydanlık ensures that the tea leaves can steep optimally, while the boiled water remains in the bottom pot. If you don’t own a Turkish kettle, you can use any two teapots 👇 (the one I used) or stack-able saucepans instead, one small and one large.

Pouring and serving tea

The serving style is also part of the tradition if you are making Turkish tea. Use a sieve and fill either a quarter or a third of the way up with the tea mixture into teacups then fill it up with boiling water from the big kettle. You can adjust the strength of your tea by pouring it more or less from the small kettle. You will realize in time how much-brewed tea you would like to put in your glass, as the less brewed tea you add, the lighter hue your tea is going to have (and vice versa). But it takes time.

Turkish tea is often served in special tulip-shaped glasses so people can hold them by the rim. Holding by the rim saves fingertips from burning and the special shape of glass keeps the tea warm and shows the color of the tea. The little glasses of Turkish tea are always served with cubes of sugar on the side and some sweet treats. I enjoyed my tea with Turkish delight and gluten-free baklava that I brought home from a major store in Istanbul.

Bringing this Turkish Tea to Angie’s Linky Party @ Fiesta Friday, co-hosted by Jhuls @ Not so creative cook.