From Rize With Love: Turkish Tea
Imagine. You just finished a delicious meal with friends. With a happy tummy and a glad heart you aren’t ready for the evening to end. If you are in Turkey, you have nothing to worry about because every meal follows with the perfect encore to extend the conversation: a steaming cup of hot tea or chai (Turkish çay).
Ginny Lou and I enjoying tea and conversation with some friends after a meal.
When I was in America most recently I noticed how much I missed the chai culture of Turkey. After every meal I wanted something hot to drink, especially when I was eating out. But I didn’t want to pay an extra $3-$5 for tea or coffee. You can always expect after a meal in Turkey that a hot cup of chai is soon to follow. It’s also quite common for chai to accompany furniture shopping, buying insurance, visiting a friend at work, crossing the Bosphorus Strait on a ferry in Istanbul, and waiting for the shuttle service at the airport. Ladies also enjoy drinking tea together in homes while men gather at the local tea house. If you are cool and hip, you might prefer to drink your tea in one of Turkey’s many chic cafes.
Tea plants/trees/shrubs (I don’t know what they are called) are grown on the hillsides of Rize.
“But where does all of this chai come from in Turkey?” you may ask. Rize (Ree-zey). Rize is located on the eastern Black Sea Coast of Turkey where the climate is humid, mild, and very wet. Because this is the perfect weather for growing tea, it was introduced to the area in the 1940s and now the city is synonymous with Turkish tea. You might think that Turkey has an excellent export business in the tea sector, but not so. I read once that Turkey drinks more tea per capita than any other country in the world, so most of the tea that it produces never leaves the country. After living in Turkey for sometime now and watching my friends drink upwards of fifteen cups a day (I can’t keep up with that pace myself), I believe it!
Tea plants/shrubs/trees. They are shorter than I thought they would be.
I certainly recommend a visit to Turkey’s Black Sea Coast and a stop in Rize should be on your list. Make sure you visit the Ziraat Tea Garden at the top of city’s main road. It’s a steep climb but the panoramic views are worth it. You should also visit Çaykur Tea Factory which is next to the tea garden. If you are fortunate like us you might have the chance to ask an agricultural engineer all of your tea plant/shrub/tree questions.
A greenhouse where tea plants/shrubs/trees are cultivated.
If you would like to learn more about the different types of Turkish tea, how to make it, and how to order it, check out our previous post here.
“I’m a little tea pot short and stout…” This tea pot, cup, and saucer can be found in the center of town in Rize.
TO OUR FRIENDS IN THE WEST, KEEP LOOKING EAST!
Leslie Connors
Leslie is a co-founder of West2East. Originally from Tennessee, Leslie has called Turkey home for the past eight years. To read more about her, click here.