Turkish Tea

Tea was not part of Ottoman culture until the early 20th century — coffee was the empire's drink for nearly four centuries. The shift happened for political and economic reasons: after World War I, Turkey lost its Arab provinces (including Yemen, source of coffee) and faced trade difficulties that made coffee expensive. The government actively promoted tea cultivation in the Rize province on the eastern Black Sea coast, where the climate and rainfall proved perfect for tea growing.

By the 1940s, tea had become Turkey's national drink. Today Turkey is the world's fifth-largest tea producer and the first in per-capita consumption — Turks drink an average of 3.5kg of tea per person per year, more than any other nation. The distinctive tulip-shaped glass (ince belli bardak, meaning "thin-waisted glass") was designed specifically for Turkish tea — the shape retains heat at the bottom while the rim stays cool enough to hold.

Turkish tea is brewed in a two-tiered pot (çaydanlık): boiling water in the bottom kettle, and a concentrated brew in the smaller teapot on top. The tea is served by mixing strong concentrate with hot water to taste — "açık" (light) or "koyu" (dark, called "demir gibi" — like iron). We serve it in the traditional tulip glass with two cubes of sugar on the side.