Turkish Tea Culture

Tea is an essential commodity around the globe, but particularly in Europe and Asia.

There's teatime every single day in England along with the ritualistic chado ceremony in Japan. In Turkey, tea is not just a ritual drink but a fact of life. Turkish persons possess the highest per-capita consumption of tea in the world, at about 1,000 cups per person each year. The beverage is so broadly consumed that there's no unique time of day or elaborate custom to limit tea-drinking activities. ?this site Taking a look at Turkish tea habits gives an interesting peek into the beverage's cultural significance.

Tea traveled to Turkey by way of the Silk Road inside the 16th century. It wasn't broadly enjoyed until the late 1800s when a governor published a book detailing its well being added benefits. Turkish coffee was the favored beverage until people today started drinking tea. The drink was also far more economical than coffee, about a quarter with the price tag. This spawned a tea-growing boom in coastal locations. The Turkish word for "tea" is "çay," pronounced "chai." The brewed leaves became so significant for the economy inside the 1930s that towns started including "çay" in their names. Turkey is now the sixth-largest tea producer around the planet. The beverage is definitely an indelible aspect of Turkish culture; this really is illustrated by tea customs.

Tea gardens are outdoor parks exactly where Turkish people today meet to drink and socialize with mates. Most Turks go to tea gardens to unwind and conduct company. Lots of gardens host live musicians. Traditionally, the tea gardens were places where guys would meet to conduct organization or play card games, but presently everybody visits.

Most shopkeepers offer you tea for clients to appreciate though they browse. It really is constantly obtainable in offices. People today customarily pour tea for their guests as a sign of hospitality. Turkish etiquette dictates that a host requirements to serve at the very least 3 cups to guests, and guests have to have to drink at least 3 cups in the course of a go to. It can be rude to drink significant mouthfuls of tea; it really should be sipped so people can unwind and take pleasure in it.

Turks use a çaydanlak, that is a compact teapot stacked on top rated of a bigger 1. Water is boiled within the bottom pot after which poured into the major pot with loose tealeaves to create a concentrated mixture. Individuals fill their glasses from the smaller pot, then use the hot water within the bottom to dilute their tea. Turkish people today never drink tea from mugs. They use modest, curved glass cups and typically add one particular or two cubes of sugar. It can be critical to stir up the tea and make loads of noise clinking the spoon against the glass.

Tea in Turkey is like a handshake, provided to strangers and superior good friends alike. Their tea-drinking habits show that the Turks choose to slow down and commit their cost-free time socializing with other folks.