That’s the (Turkish) Tea: What You Need to Know

History of Turkish Tea

Compared to tea’s thousands of years of history, Turkish tea is surprisingly young. Some sources mention that Turks traded and consumed tea as soon as 400 B.C., but tea only became common in Turkey from the 1900s onwards. Between 1888 and 1892, the very first attempt to grow tea on Turkish soil took place in Bursa. It wasn’t much of a success since this part of the country is ecologically inadequate for growing tea. The parliament passed a law in 1924 about cultivating tea in the east of the Black Sea region. In the late 30s, 70 tons of black tea seeds were imported from Georgia in order to start nurseries in the region. An additional law that supported the farmers and protected their rights boosted the cultivation of tea in the region in 1940. Today, 767 million m² of land is used to grow tea. In fact, tea is the second most-consumed Turkish drink, after water.

Serving Tea, the Turkish Way

The glasses the Turks use are special curved, see-through tea glasses. A small plate underneath the tea glass is used for making it easier to carry and serve. Be careful with the amount you pour into the glass as the steeped tea is on the top pot. Here’s the rule of thumb: Half of a glass is very strong (koyu or demli), a quarter of a glass is considered normal, and less is light (açık). Add water to fill the rest of the glass, but not all the way up. Leave 1 cm of space at the top to help the drinker to get a sip without spilling or burning their fingers. Keep in mind the traditional Turkish tea glasses have no handle like a regular Western cup, so you need to hold the glass from the top using your thumb and index finger. If you have guests over, it’s recommended that you use a little more tea and water than required. Customarily, the host is supposed to supply tea as long as the guests’ desire. You just cannot say, “Sorry, we don’t have any tea left!” in Turkish culture. This is simply not done, at all. If you are the guest, you need to keep the famous Turkish hospitality in mind. The host will insist you have one more, just like any other treat in the Turkish culture. In case you don’t want more tea, you can simply say it in an an equally traditional way, i.e. put your teaspoon on top of your tea glass the minute you finish your tea. This means, “Honestly no – that’s enough. Thank you!” Enjoy unlimited tea to accompany your breakfast at Sahan Mezopotamian Street Food. Visit Us at Sahan Mezopotamian Street Food Instagram: sahan.mezopotamian (02) 964 991 67 35-39 Auburn Road, AUBURN, NSW 2144, Australia Source: TheIstanbulInsider