Ingredients
Tea
- 4 tbsploose black tea, Rize or another Turkish tea
Water
- 1 litrefor the lower pot
- 500 mlfor the upper pot
To serve
- sugar cubes
- tulip glasses, ince belli
- small saucers and spoons
Equipment
- a çaydanlık, the stacked double teapot
Directions
- Fill the lower pot with water and bring it to a boil. Put the loose tea in the upper pot, dry.
- Pour a little boiling water over the leaves, swirl it and pour it off. Now steep it for 15 to 20 minutes over the steam.
- Pour the concentrate into the glass first, then top it up with hot water from the lower pot. Ask how people take it: koyu for dark and strong, açık for light and weak, and tavşan kanı for the ideal middle.
- Serve it in ince belli, the narrow-waisted tulip glass. The narrow waist keeps the tea hot at the bottom while the flared top cools enough to drink, and the clear glass shows the colour, which is half the judgement.
- Hold it by the rim, since the glass gets extremely hot. Never fill it to the brim, which makes it impossible to pick up.
- Leave a centimetre.
- Serve sugar cubes on the saucer rather than stirring sugar into the pot. Milk is never added, and asking for it will be met with polite bewilderment.
Technique
- Tavşan kanı, rabbit’s blood, is the term for the ideal colour.
- Kıtlama, drinking through a held sugar lump, is a Black Sea habit.
- Turkey leads the world in tea consumption per person.
Substitutions
- Any strong black tea, though Turkish tea is distinctive.
- Two ordinary teapots stacked, or a pot kept over a bain-marie.
Variations
- Served koyu, dark and strong.
- Served açık, light.
- With a slice of lemon, which is occasionally offered.
History
State-backed tea planting began near Rize in the 1930s when coffee grew scarce; Turkey now leads the world in per-capita tea drinking.
Frequently asked questions
What is Turkish tea?
Turkish tea is a drink from Turkey: strong black tea brewed double-decker, served endlessly in tulip glasses. State-backed tea planting began near Rize in the 1930s when coffee grew scarce; Turkey now leads the world in per-capita tea drinking.
How long does Turkish tea take to make?
Turkish tea takes 5 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 glasses. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Turkish tea?
Yes, within limits. Any strong black tea, though Turkish tea is distinctive. Two ordinary teapots stacked, or a pot kept over a bain-marie.
What is the most important thing to get right in Turkish tea?
Hold it by the rim, since the glass gets extremely hot. Never fill it to the brim, which makes it impossible to pick up.
