Turkish tea is a very significant part of Turkey’s culture. Each day, throughout the country, thousands of glasses of tea are drank. It could be a drink between family and friends, drinks in the workplace or even a welcoming drink to strangers.
The Turkish have a very specific way of making tea and even though the process takes more time, they find the end result and taste worth it.
They use a two tire steel Caydanlik pot, the bottom hald must be larger than the top. The water must be boiled in the bottom half, then some water must be added to the top half along with two tablespoons of tea leaves. You then place it back on the boil with the heat lowered, the steam from the bottom will brew the leaves in the top. This will take around 15 minutes, then your Turkish tea is ready.
Turkish tea offers a wide variety of different flavours and brands. There are fruity flavours, apple tea is the traditional tea usually offered to tourists while they are wandering round shops looking for souvenirs. The Turkish do consider the best flavour to be merely black, the Caykur brand from Rize.
Rize is in the north east of Turkey. It has a very hilly landscape which makes the perfect soil conditions, plus with the humid climate it makes the best environment for growing tea.
It has been reported that Turkish tea actually provides benefits to our health and nutrition. Two cups in the morning will certainly make you feel more ready for the day. It has been proven that tea lessens the risk of diabetes as it helps regulate blood flow, plus because tea releases huge amounts of antioxidants it will help reduce your chance of getting sick. People find tea calming and many find it helps them to concentrate.
