Azerbaijani tea

Ingredients

Tea

• 3 tbspstrong black tea leaves, an Azerbaijani or Ceylon blend
• 1 litrewater

Sometimes

• a few dried rose petals
• a small piece of cinnamon
• 2cardamom pods
• a strip of dried lemon peel
• a sprig of thyme

To serve

• sugar cubes
• jam: cherry, fig, white cherry, quince or walnut
• sliced lemon
• nuts and dried fruit

Equipment

• a samovar or a two-part teapot, çaydan
• armudu glasses

Directions

1. Rinse the small pot with boiling water to warm it before the leaves go in.
2. Add the tea leaves and pour on boiling water, filling the pot about a third.
3. Set it on top of the kettle so the rising steam keeps it hot.
4. Let it steep for fifteen to twenty minutes. Do not boil the concentrate directly over a flame, which makes it harsh and bitter.
5. Pour a small amount of concentrate into each glass and top it up with hot water from the kettle. The tea should be a deep reddish brown and you should be able to see through it in the glass.
6. Add them to the concentrate rather than to the glass, so they infuse properly. Now what is never added to it.
7. Serve the glasses on saucers with a small spoon, alongside jam, nuts and dried fruit. The pot on the kettle stays hot throughout, so refills are immediate.

Technique

• The armudu glass shape keeps the tea hot below and the rim cool to hold.
• Jam is eaten alongside rather than stirred into the tea.
• It is offered before a meal as a welcome, not afterwards.

Substitutions

• Any strong black tea, and Ceylon blends are widely used.
• A regular teapot kept warm, in place of a samovar.

Variations

• With rose petals or cinnamon in the pot.
• With thyme, which is common in some regions.
• Served with a slice of lemon, in the Russian style.

History

Served in tulip-shaped armudu glasses with jam and sugar, offered before a meal as a welcome.

Frequently asked questions

What is Azerbaijani tea?

Azerbaijani tea is a drink from Azerbaijan: strong black tea in pear-shaped armudu glasses with jam. Served in tulip-shaped armudu glasses with jam and sugar, offered before a meal as a welcome.

How long does Azerbaijani tea take to make?

Azerbaijani tea takes 5 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 glasses. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Azerbaijani tea?

Yes, within limits. Any strong black tea, and Ceylon blends are widely used. A regular teapot kept warm, in place of a samovar.

What is the most important thing to get right in Azerbaijani tea?

Let it steep for fifteen to twenty minutes. Do not boil the concentrate directly over a flame, which makes it harsh and bitter.