Tea Ceremonies: Turkish çay
Weston Martin
Dark Amber, smooth and sweet, settling with a satisfaction found in great scarcity. A business meeting; a group of friends shooting the breeze; mothers chatting about their children; sitting on a ferry as it cuts through the waves; men playing games; resting after a long day’s work. This is the experience of Turkish çay. Grown and produced in the hills of Rize, Turkey, çay has mesmerized and captivated the Turkish people in a beautiful way. Any Turk, young or old, can be found enjoying the sweet elixir at any time of the day during any activity. It has become a conduit of community and conversation in Turkish culture, and it has been something that I have been able to experience firsthand for 9 years of my life. It has my heart and isn’t letting go anytime soon.
Turkish çay is made from the tea plant, camellia sinensis. It is a black tea that people drink strong or weak. Served in tulip-shaped glasses with saucers and mini-spoons, çay has come to epitomize Turkish culture and the ringing of glass can be heard throughout the country as people stir in a sugar cube or two.
Çay is made using a two-tiered kettle. The bottom tier is used to boil water. The çay is placed in the upper tier and once the water from the bottom tier is boiling, that water is then poured into the top-tier with the çay. The çay steeps while more water is boiled/kept hot in the bottom-tier. Once steeped, a little of the concentrated çay in the top tier is then poured into the tulip glass. Water from the bottom tier is then poured into the glass to even the concentration of çay. Depending on how strong or weak you want your çay will determine what proportions of çay and water you place in your glass. Personally, two sugar cubes is the perfect addition to a glass of çay. Once those have dissolved, sit back and enjoy a little bit of Turkey; at any given time, someone in Turkey is drinking çay so you won’t be drinking alone.
Jet Setter