The most consumed beverage in the world is tea. This is a well-known fact, but do you know which country leads the way in tea consumption? No, it's not China, it's not Japan, and it's not even India. According to a 2016 report calculated per capita, tea is mostly drunk in Turkey. A resident of Turkey drinks approximately 1,300 cups of tea per year, or 3.16 kg of tea. This amounts to 3 to 4 cups per day. During cold winter days, that number rises to 10.
According to data from last year, in 2022, with around 260,000 tons of tea produced, or 3.23 kg per capita, Turkey is among the top 6 tea producers in the world.
The culture of tea drinking in Turkey and Azerbaijan was even recently inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage, to the pride of the entire region.
After Turkey, followed by Ireland with 2.19 kg, then Great Britain with 1.94 kg and Russia with 1.38 kg of tea per capita.
Traditional Turkish tea
Turkish tea belongs to the category of black teas. Tea leaves they ferment longer than other black teas, which makes it a strong black tea, pronounced aroma, full texture and rich taste with a significant percentage of caffeine, but still less than coffee, which makes it an adequate substitute for coffee.
Turkish tea production is located in the northeastern Black Sea region with 84,000 hectares of tea land. Tea cultivation is distributed in certain regions, including Rize Province, Trabzon Province, Artvin Province, Giresun Province, and Ordu Province, reaching in some places 30 kilometers inland and an altitude of about 1,000 meters (3,281 ft). Among them, Rize, where Turkey's first tea factory was built in 1947, produces more than 66% of Turkey's tea, making it the country's largest tea plantation.
Turkish tea production is located in the northeastern Black Sea region with 84,000 hectares of tea land. Tea cultivation is distributed in certain regions, including Rize Province, Trabzon Province, Artvin Province, Giresun Province, and Ordu Province, reaching in some places 30 kilometers inland and an altitude of about 1,000 meters (3,281 ft). Among them, Rize, where Turkey's first tea factory was built in 1947, produces more than 66% of Turkey's tea, making it the country's largest tea plantation.
Production, from harvesting to processing, of Turkish tea takes place over a period of 6 months, between May and October, which offers the best climate. It is produced without chemicals and without chemical additives.
Freshly picked leaves must first wither, so their water content decreases from 70-80% to 50-55%.
After the leaves have wilted enough (but not too much), they are subjected to rolling, in which the cell extract of the dried tea leaf is spread over the surface of the rolled leaf, the fresh tea leaves are cut, ground and rolled in various tea production machines, and the oxidation process begins.
Then comes fermentation, a process in which black tea acquires the desired color, sharpness, brightness, smell and aroma by changing the biological structure of chemical compounds that exist in the cell extract of the rolled fresh tea leaf as a result of the action of oxidizing enzymes.
When the leaf processing process is finished, it needs to be sorted and properly stored, in order to keep its quality as long as possible and so that the end users can enjoy all its benefits. Sorting is done by sorting the dry teas coming out of the kiln according to density, thickness and quality by sieving through a standard mesh.
Why do Turks drink tea?
Tea is an important part of Turkish culture and is the most commonly consumed hot drink, despite the long history of coffee consumption. It is drunk everywhere, at home, in cafes, social gatherings of men (Kiraathana) and other social gatherings such as weddings, funerals, etc. and at any time of the day, after breakfast, lunch and dinner, and even more often. In addition to making socializing more pleasant, its regular consumption also has a beneficial effect on health.
It gained its great popularity only in the 20th century, until which time coffee occupied the first place. But during and after World War I, coffee became too expensive, so people were encouraged to drink tea as an alternative.
After the loss of southeastern territories after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, coffee became expensive to import. Under the urging of the founder of the republic, Ataturk, the people of Turkey turned to tea due to the availability of domestic resources.
Tradicionalno, Turci piju čisti čaj, često, zbog njegove jačine, u kombinaciji sa šećerom u kockama (tur. kesme şeker) ili nekom specifičnom Turkish dessert such as rahat-lokum baklava or similar.
They will also offer you tea when you have guests, as a sign of welcome, and if traditional Turkish tea is too strong for you, even with delicious desserts, they can offer it with lemon, but never with milk.
Because of its strength, instead of in large cups, it is served in small tulip-shaped glass glasses, placed on a saucer with a spoon in the glass, in order to cool the tea sooner and to avoid the glass breaking due to the high temperature of the liquid. Also, due to the high temperature of the drink, the glasses are held by the rim, so that the pleasure of drinking is not spoiled by fried fingers. Decorating these cups is sometimes a real art.
In addition to black tea, rosehip tea and linden flower tea are increasingly consumed in Turkey.
How to prepare good Turkish tea?
Turkish tea is strong in itself, and the specific method of preparation further emphasizes its strength, aroma and fullness of texture.
If you want to prepare good Turkish tea, you should follow the basic rules:
The tea must be stored in a closed container so that it is not affected by moisture and external odors.
For the best results, it is recommended to use water without limescale and the appropriate accessories: çaydanlık. Two vessels, one larger, for boiling water-kettle/kettle and the other smaller, placed on top of the first one-for preparing tea-kettle.
After rinsing the teapot clean with lukewarm water, put one teaspoon of tea per person while the water is boiling in the teapot. Part of the boiling water from the tea kettle is poured into the teapot, in order to obtain a strong, concentrated tea.
The flame under the teapot is reduced and the teapot is placed on the teapot so that it steams underneath.
The tea in the teapot (upper container) should be boiled for 15 minutes, no longer than 30 minutes, after which it is ready to be poured into small glasses, usually 1/3 or 1/4 full, depending on how strong you prefer the tea.
The rest of the water from the lower bowl is poured according to the individual base, giving everyone a choice from mild (Turkish: açık), medium (Turkish: tavşan kanı - literally "rabbit's blood"), to a strong drink (Turkish: koyu - literally "dark" or " dark"). The tea should be drunk within 30 minutes.
Serious tea lovers usually go to a cafe or tea house where tea is served from a samovar (Semaver in Turkish) so that they can fill their own glasses as much as they like.
Benefits of Turkish tea for health
Turkish tea provides great benefits for our health. With this drink you can please your senses, socialize and nurture your body at the same time; 3 in 1.
Two to three cups of this tea a day are enough to reduce the risk of various diseases:
- It maintains the water balance in the body, regardless of the fact that it has a certain amount of caffeine. It is known that caffeine can cause the effect of dehydration of the body, but in tea it works in a completely different way due to the polyphenols and catechins with which it works in cooperation
- It reduces the risk of heart attacks and improves heart health
- Reduces LDL, the "bad cholesterol" that contributes to cardiac arrest and stroke;
- It prevents the formation of cells that cause cancer because it contains a certain amount of polyphenols and catechins
- It reduces the risk of high blood pressure
- Tobacco and toxic chemicals can cause DNA damage, the antioxidants in this tea can block that damage; however, don't overdo it with cigarettes or better yet, don't smoke at all and try to avoid any exposure to toxic chemicals
- It reduces the risk of diabetes and obesity - as little as one to two glasses a day
- If you do sports, this tea will definitely improve your performance
- Prevents tension and insomnia; reduces the level of cortisol, the stress hormone in the body
- Improves skin health
- It strengthens the immune system
- It reduces the risk of brain tumors
- It improves digestion, especially after a large or heavy meal
- Stops diarrhea and increases kidney function
- It improves concentration with L-theanine, an amino acid contained in this tea
There are many reasons why, after a long and tiring day, you should soothe your mind and body with a warm cup of Turkish tea.
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