Just like rice and Chinese, curry and Indians; çay (tea) and Turkish people are one inseparable whole, lovers forever. You get the first sip of love in the morning with breakfast. Then you go to work, or visit someone in their home, go to a shop and try some shoes. Your love is always on the table, waiting for you. People offer you tea without asking. If you don't like tea, you can't survive in Turkey! Although you drink it all day nonstop, you can't wait to meet your love again right after dinner, and you drink it till you fall asleep in his arms.. Tea is in poems, in songs, in old idioms, written behind trucks, in the heart of people in Turkey. These çay lovers have their place even in dictionary: Tiryaki which means addict as lexial meaning, but in Turkey, it is mostly visualised as followed:
Home
is where
the tea is.
(⋆‿⋆)♨
How to prepare and serve it in a Turkish way
Two kettles named Çaydanlık involves in the preparation. After boiling enough water in the larger one, you transfer some of it to the top and add loose tea leaves. Then, you wait couple of minutes for it to infuse, and fill the glasses! You can have your tea light, with more water from the bottom, or strong (it's called tavşankanı which literally means rabbit's blood in Turkish. I was so afraid hearing it for the first time as a child!)
It's drunk from special small glasses which are called ince belli (literally means slim waisted). They make sure it's always hot and you can see its beautiful rabbit blood color! You can add sugar or not, but no milk! I like it with milk as well, but I would be excluded from society if I do it publicly! haha!
Fun Fact 1:
Small waisted Turkish tea glass was put on the market as newly discovered perfect whiskey glass in America in 2014. After the negative reaction on social media, Turkish Design statement was used in the product promotion. Sorry American friends! But tell me about it if you try whiskey with small waisted Turkish friend!
Fun Fact 2:
Again in 2014, Pope Francis drank Turkish tea in small waisted as the first thing after coming into Turkey.
Today, Turkey consumes the most tea in the world with nearly 7 pounds per person per year!
High percentage of Turkish people prefer tea over coffee today, consume good amount of it daily, but tea is not born in Turkey, rather it's quite new. It goes back to 10th century BC in China as medicinal drink. After the years of 1785, one of the biggest tea consumers -Ireland and United Kingdom- starts to drink it daily and even import it.
In 1900s, Turkey finally discovers the excellent conditions in Black Sea Region, and starts to produce it. In 2000s, it becomes the number one in tea consumption and shows its deepest love to the whole world!
)
I don't know why I'm so happy this but I am haha! I love tea! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
I wonder what does tea mean for your country and you individually? Are you more of a coffee or a tea person? Do you drink it differently? Have you ever seen this design and way to serve before? I'm honestly so curious about these! Don't feel shy to talk about tea in the comments please!! Thank you for your time! ☕
Final Fun Fact: Birds love tea as well.
Image Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
