Tea is big in Turkey. A great deal of the population admires this drink. When asked to describe a hot summer day, a cold winter day, a visit to family or friends, a quick way to relax and especially a full breakfast, tea will be part of it. People often associate Turkish tea with apple tea, but that’s just a touristic thing.
Traditional Turkish tea is black, and it’s consumed massively. Turks do sometimes fancy a herbal tea, such as rose hip (kuşburnu çayı), linden flower (ıhlamur çayı) among other flavors. But those are mostly consumed for their health characteristics and to color up the taste buds.
Tea is deeply ingrained in Turkish culture. Turkey has one of the highest per capita tea consumption rates in the world, with Turks drinking an average of 3-4 glasses of tea per day. But what kind of tea do Turks actually drink? Here’s a deep dive into the types of tea consumed in Turkey, how they are prepared, and the cultural rituals surrounding Turkish tea.
Black Tea is King
The predominant type of tea consumed in Turkey is black tea, known as ‘Çay’ in Turkish Over 90% of the tea grown and consumed in Turkey is black tea from the province of Rize on the eastern Black Sea coast The mild climate and fertile soil in Rize is perfectly suited to growing high quality black tea.
The premium Turkish black tea brand is Çaykur Rize Turist Tea, produced by the state-owned Çaykur tea company. Çaykur dominates tea production in Turkey, producing around 60% of the total tea grown in the country. Çaykur’s Rize Turist black tea is renowned for its reddish-brown color and distinct floral aroma. It is sold throughout Turkey and exported worldwide.
After Çaykur, the other major brand of Turkish black tea is Doğadan. Doğadan is produced by Öz-Altın Çay, Turkey’s second largest tea producer. Doğadan black tea has a reddish color, strong aroma, and slight bitter taste. It is a popular everyday black tea brand drunk widely in Turkey.
How Turkish Black Tea is Prepared
Turkish black tea has its own unique preparation ritual. It is brewed in a special narrow double teapot called a çaydanlık. Water is boiled in the larger bottom pot. The strong tea brew is made in the smaller top pot by steeping black tea leaves in hot water for around 10 minutes.
When served, the strong tea concentrate is diluted to taste with hot water from the bottom pot This allows each person to dilute their tea to their preferred strength. Tea is poured into small tulip-shaped glasses called ince belli to preserve the heat The tea is served very hot, usually with sugar cubes but no milk.
Turks have a saying “Açık Çay” for weak diluted tea and “Koyu Çay” for strong concentrated tea. The tea drinking ritual with the çaydanlık teapot allows each person to easily adjust the strength of their tea on the fly.
Herbal Teas Are Also Popular
While black tea reigns supreme, herbal teas are also popular in Turkey. The Mediterranean climate is perfect for growing aromatic herbs which lend themselves well to herbal teas. Some favorites include:
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Apple Tea (Elma Çayı): Made from dried apple slices, often served at breakfast or after a meal. Has a tangy, crisp flavor.
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Sage Tea (Ada Çayı): Sage is grown extensively in Turkey. The tea has an earthy, piney, minty flavor and is believed to help with digestion.
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Rosehip Tea (Kuşburnu Çayı): Made from the fruits of wild roses. It has a tart, floral taste and is high in vitamin C.
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Linden Tea (Ihlamur Çayı): Made from linden flowers which grow across Turkey. Has a smooth woody, floral flavor and is caffeine-free.
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Thyme Tea (Kekik Çayı): Brewed from antioxidant-rich thyme leaves. Has a herbaceous, woodsy taste.
These herbal teas are widely available in tea gardens, cafes and grocery stores across Turkey. Turks may drink herbal teas at any time of day for their flavor and perceived health benefits.
Tea Culture and Rituals
Drinking tea in Turkey is about much more than just the beverage itself. It is a daily cultural ritual rooted in hospitality, conversation, and savoring time with others.
Tea is served not just at home, but also in ubiquitous tea gardens found in public parks, town squares, by highways, and nestled in city neighborhoods. These open-air tea gardens, with tables shaded by trees or large umbrellas, are places where friends and family gather to catch up over endless cups of hot tea.
For many Turks, visiting a tea garden on a daily basis to drink tea and chat with friends or play games like backgammon and chess is an essential part of social life. Tea has even become a symbol of Turkish hospitality – if a Turk invites you to their home, expect to be greeted with at least one glass of hot black tea.
So while black tea is the star, herbal teas also have a cherished place in Turkish tea culture. But tea in Turkey is about so much more than the liquid in the glass. The casual ritual of sitting in a tea garden for hours, sipping tea and connecting with others, is an integral part of daily life and the cultural fabric of Turkey.
A Quick Look in the History of Tea
We do not know exactly when and how mankind started to drink tea. The first record of using tea as a beverage comes from China dating back to the 10th century BC. But only since 1589, Europeans learnt about tea when a Venetian author credits the lengthy lives of Asians to their tea drinking. In the 16th century, Portuguese traders imported tea and it became very fashionable in aristocratic circles and at the royal courts. In Great Britain, tea even became so chic that at the end of the 17th century alcohol consumption declined. In the 19th century, Chinese trade of tea with Western nations spread and the tea industry started to appear in Europe and America.
History of Turkish Tea
Surprisingly, compared to tea’s thousands years of history, Turkish tea is relatively young. Some sources mention that Turks traded and consumed tea as soon as 400 B.C., but certain is that tea only became common in Turkey from the 1900s onwards.
The very first attempt to grow tea on Turkish soil took place in Bursa between 1888 and 1892. It wasn’t a success since this part of the country is ecologically inadequate for growing tea. In 1924, the parliament passed a law 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. In 1940, an additional law that supported the farmers and protected their rights boosted the cultivation of tea in the region. Today, 767 million m² of land is used to grow tea, and it is the second most consumed Turkish drink, after water.
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FAQ
What is the most popular tea in Turkey?
What is the traditional tea in Turkey?
What type of tea do they drink in Istanbul?
What is the national tea of Turkey?
Is tea a popular drink in Turkey?
Tea ( Turkish: çay pronounced [tʃaj]) is a popular drink throughout Turkey and the Turkish diaspora. Turkey has the highest per capita tea consumption in the world with an annual total consumption of over 3 kilograms per person. Turkey is a large exporter of tea, ranking fifth among the top exporting countries.
What makes Turkish tea unique?
The most important qualities of Turkish tea are its huge cultural significance, authenticity, and how well it’s been preserved over centuries. Every aspect of this beverage reflects Turkish culture, from the soil on which the tea leaves are grown to its unique method of preparation to its tulip-shaped glasses.
Which brand of Turkish tea is best?
Let’s explore some popular brands that offer a wide range of authentic and high-quality Turkish teas. Caykur is one of the largest and most well-known tea producers in Turkey. With a history dating back to 1944, this brand has become synonymous with Turkish tea.
What type of tea is made in Turkey?
Black tea is the most popular type of tea in Turkey and is made using the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The tea is brewed using a double teapot called a çaydanlık, which consists of two stacked pots. The bottom pot is used to boil water, while the top pot is used to brew the tea.