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Turkish Tea Culture and Tea Glasses

 

It is hard to imagine breakfasts, social gatherings, business meetings, negotiations for carpets in the Grand Bazaar, or ferry rides across the Bosphorus in Turkey without the presence of tea. With tea servers in streets, shopping malls, and parks shouting, “ÇAY!” (chai) the beverage is always within shouting distance. It is fundamental to Turkish social life and plays a significant role in Turkey’s domestic economy.

Today, Turks have one of the highest per capita consumption rates of tea, averaging about 1,000 cups per year. This high rate owes itself to the availability of places to consume tea, social customs and traditions, and domestic production along the Eastern Black Sea coast.

Turks prefer to drink tea in small tulip-shaped glasses. Though the origins of this shape are not known, the clear glass allows the drinker to appreciate the crimson colour of the tea. The tea glass is so important in Turkish life it is used as a measurement in recipes. As you pass tea gardens and teahouses, you will hear the clinking of tiny tea spoons in the tea glasses.

To admire the hue of the tea and to be able to consume it while it is still hot, you should try our unique tea glasses.

Photo: Dervish Star Tea Set

Sources: Tea in Turkey