Turkish Tea (Cay) by Lilford T. Spunglesworth

The day goes on, and after lunch it is time to chat over more tea. Then around 5 o'clock in the afternoon comes tea accompanied by crisp simit rings sprinkled with sesame seeds with white cheese. Tea is an important part of Turkish daily life, as it is in Britain, China and Japan.

While British, Indian and Pakistani tea lovers mix their beverage with milk, in Turkey tea is generally flavoured only with sugar and occasionally lemon. Winter and summer, steaming hot fragrant tea is served in little narrow tulip shaped glasses, preferably crystal. The small metal spoons produce an agreeable tinkling sound as the sugar is stirred; a sweet melody.

The early Turks evolved their own way of making and drinking the tea which became a way of life for Turkish culture. Wherever people go in Turkey, tea or coffee will be offered as a sign of friendship and hospitality, at homes, bazaars and restaurants, before or after a meal.

Turkish tea is full-flavored and too strong to be served in large cups thus it's always offered in little tulip shaped glasses which you have to hold by the rim to save your fingertips from burning because it's served boiling hot. You can add sugar in it but no milk, and you can have it either lighter (weaker) or darker (stronger) depending on your taste because Turkish tea is made by pouring some very strong tea into the glass, then cutting it with water to the desired strength. Serious tea-drinking people (generally Turks) usually go to a coffee and tea house where they serve it with a samovar (Turkish Semaver) so they can refill their glasses themselves as much as they want.

How to make Turkish Tea?

To make the Turkish black tea like the Turks, you need two different sizes of kettles (Caydanlik) a big and a small one, black tea and cold water.

First fill the big kettle with water and place it on to stove. Then put the small kettle above the big one. At the small kettle put black tea (the measure of black tea is a dessert spoon for each person). Light the stove. While the water is boiling in the big kettle the second small kettle will also be warmed. Please notice that the small kettle contains only black tea and it does not contain water.

After the water boiled, you should put this water on the small kettle where there you have the black tea. (The measure of the water is relative to the number of persons who will drink the tea. For example, if just two people wants to drink tea you should add a little bit of water, if there are more people you must put more water).

Now you must wait 15 minutes more or less, this is necessary so that the tea can cook. You will see that after 15 minutes the tea stays in the bottom of the kettle, this means that the tea can be served.

"Afiyet Olsun!"

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