Buy Turkish Tea Online

Historical origins of Tea as a beverage

China and the Tea

At first, tea was used for medical purposes in China in 2737 BC. As time went on, they combined tea with water and turned it into a drink. The first use in drinkable form coincides with the 10th century before Christ.
The etymological origin of the word ‘tea’ which we use today, came to us from Mandarin, a dialect of China. This word, which is pronounced "ça" and spelled "cha" in Latin letters, has progressed to Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern countries in time. For this reason, almost all countries in this geography continue to read the word tea as "çay".
The journey of drinking tea, which started in China and now spread to other countries, was in the first period: Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. While people drink tea in these countries, tea is still used for medical purposes in India, which is almost another source of tea.

Britain and the Tea

When we came to the beginning of the 18th century, tea connoisseurs left China and went to Portugal and Holland and started planting tea here. The tea industry was slowly set up here. Then, Portugal went to Britain and transferred seeds as well as the information about tea. However, until the 18th century, the consumption of tea as a beverage was still not widespread, on the contrary, it was consumed as an expensive drink for festivals or special occasions.
After 1785, England and Ireland integrated tea into daily use. Everything is not finished here as well, England introduced tea culture to India and big tea cultivations were made here.

Ottoman and Turkish Tea

The story of the tea at the Ottoman Empire, who brought coffee from the lands he ruled and initiated a new culture throughout his land, started with the importation of tea by a few shops in Istanbul. In the Ottoman palace, they thought that tea was a beautiful and valuable drink. During the Sultan Abdulhamid II period, he planted the saplings brought from China to Bursa, but it was not possible to grow tea here for ecological reasons.

According to the researches, the Turks' acquaintance with tea actually originated in Central Asia long before. We can even call it the 12th century. A Kazan Crimean Turk and language reformer, Abdül'l-Kayyum Nasıri's book Fevakihü'l-Cülesa, it was emphasized that Hoca Ahmet Yesevi was the first Turk to drink tea.

Contrary to what is known, tea was not as common as coffee in the Ottoman Empire. After the First World War, the Republic of Turkey was established. Importing coffee from Yemen began quite costly because of trade agreements and territory lost after the war.

In this situation, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk decided to take some precautions and Turkey has started to work for the spread of tea, which is a plant that can be grown in Anatolian lands. Despite the high cost of coffee, tea has become a beverage that can be produced cheaper and easily delivered.

Turks, who were not very familiar with tea until the 20th century, observed an inevitable growth in tea, especially in Rize, in the Black Sea in the 1900s. In 1924, the law no.407 was passed by the government on the cultivation of tea, hazelnut, and citrus. In the 1930s, 70 tons of black tea seeds bought from Georgia were planted and Rize became an important city to cultivate and export on tea production.

After the government incentives and regional development, Turkey is an important country to growing and exporting tea. Also, Turkey is one of the top 6 countries that produce the highest amount of tea in the world. The reason for this is not only the production but also the high rate of tea drinking. According to statistics in 2016, Turkey is the most tea consuming country in the world with an average annual per capita consumption of 3.16kg. After Turkey, Ireland and the United Kingdom follow Turkey consuming tea.

Tea is the most common beverage that can be drunk every meal of the day in Turkey. It takes different names according to the ratio of tea-water. The most important thing, ‘black tea’ creates its own language and culture among Turkish people.

Which are the most tea producing countries?

Firstly, China produces 2.2 Mio tons of tea. More than half of these teas are green tea. But there are many different kinds of tea produced like black, oolong and pu-erh.

Secondly, India follows China with 1.2 Mio tons of tea production in one year. India has produced tea since 1823. They are famous for their large tea growing areas like Darjeeling, Ceylon, Assam, and Dooars.

Kenya is the 3rd tea producer country in the world, and 1st the producer country in Africa. In Kenya, generally black tea grown after that green, white, and oolong comes.

The 4th major country is Sri Lanka with 329k tons of tea in a year. They produce Ceylon tea in large areas and they have lots of beautiful green tea types.

And Turkey is the 5th largest tea producing country in the world, 260k tons of tea in one year.’ (Source. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

Which is the most tea consuming country?

Turkey is the most tea consuming country with 3.5 kg tea per person in a year according to the International Tea Committee Report. After Turkey, Ireland and the United Kingdom have the highest amount of tea consumption.

Turkey and Turkish tea culture

Turkish Tea Recipe - How is Turkish tea best brewed?

There are lots of different recipes to brewing Turkish tea, but in general, the logic is the same.

Materials, porcelain or steel teapot (two-piece), teacups, tablespoon, kettle(if prefer)

Ingredients, black Turkish tea, drinking water, sugar(if prefer)

• Pour the drinking water into the teapot (the bottom part) and let it boil. You can also boil the water in the kettle.
• Put the Turkish tea. After the water boils, wait for five minutes and put 4 tablespoons Turkish tea in the teapot (the top part of the teapot). We can adjust the water according to the amount of tea we put. For 4 tablespoons of tea, we can add boiled water to the top of the teapot holes.
• Brew the Turkish Tea. Then we add water to the teapot up to the level of the holes and let it brew for 10 minutes on low heat.
• And finally, your delicious Turkish tea is ready to drink!

Take your snacks or breakfasts and ENJOY!

Best tips for making delicious Turkish Tea

Quality of water, it is important to use drinking water when brewing Turkish tea. In other words, if the water you use while brewing tea is chalky, it may affect the taste of the tea you brew.

The material of teapot, we recommended using ceramic or metal teapot when brewing Turkish tea. Especially ceramic teapots are more useful for heat permeability.

Clean teapot, if you use a chalky teapot, it will also spoil the taste of your beverage.

Rested-boiled water, please do not pour the water onto the tea leaves as soon as your water is boiling, wait for the water for a few minutes after boiling. If you pour the water onto the tea while it is boiling, this may cause the tea to taste bitter.

Fresh tea, most importantly, stores your Turkish tea in the right conditions so that you can find the right storage suggestions at the end of this writing.

Teabags, a real Turkish tea lover, never use tea bags if s/he doesn’t have to. They say that tea bags do not have the same taste and aroma as real Turkish tea.

How long should Turkish tea be consumed after made?

Don’t wait too much, First of all, it is very important to brew your tea on low heat for 8-10 minutes. However, you should not leave your tea on the stove more than necessary and it is recommended to consume it in a short time after brewing.

Or use a thermos, If you prefer consuming your tea in a long period of time, you can use a thermos. Because when the pulp of the tea is kept in the teapot for a long time, the tea and water continue to interact and after a while the taste of the tea becomes bitter. However, when putting it in a thermos, you will separate the pulp of the tea from the brewed tea.

Hot tea is preferable, You can also keep your tea hot in the thermos for a long time.

How to serve Turkish Tea – How is best to serve Turkish Tea?

Tea glasses, Turkish tea is preferred to drink in a thin waist tea glass. You can serve brewed tea firstly in a third of the glass and then add water to it. Amount of tea-water changeable. It is totally up to you. If you like more tea taste, you can also put the tea in half the glass.

Sugar, Turkish tea is generally served with sugar. If you prefer, you can add one-two teaspoon sugar into your tea glass. Also, Turkish tea can be served with a slice of lemon or clove.

Every o’clock is Tea o’clock. Breakfast, snacks, cookies… There is no need for an excuse to drink tea in Turkey. At breakfast, after lunch or dinner, 5 tea, at the cafes… In short, every hour can be a tea hour in Turkey. But always tea is served with food. Sometimes cookies, sometimes with breakfast or some nuts.

How to buy Turkish Tea online

Important steps to buy Turkish tea online – Order Turkish Tea Online

• It is really important to be careful about shipping methods.
• Turkish Tea must be shipped with proper packaging.
• Shipping must be fast and directly from Istanbul.
• You must buy Turkish Tea online from a reliable seller.

Buy Turkish Tea from TurkishTaste.com

• We are shipped with DHL in the most proper packaging method for each product.
• We send Turkish Tea in the vacuuming packages, airtight and impact-resistant boxes.
• We send 100% original, fresh, delightful products that are sent directly from Istanbul.
• We have many products ranges on Turkish Tea both brand and diversity.
• We are always ready to improve our website on what our customers need.
• We have reliable payment systems.

Types of Turkish Tea

There are lots of different tea types in the world. We will talk about tea varieties that are widely consumed in Turkey.

Black Turkish Tea

Black Turkish tea is the most consumed tea type in Turkey, there is a wide variety in itself. Basically, the tea leaves are collected and wait to darken after processes that are withering and cutting. Finally, it is dried and classified and made ready for tea blending.

Green Turkish Tea

The difference between black tea and green tea is due to the processing technique. The leaves of green tea are less processed than black tea. For making green tea, tea leaves are roasted and dried quickly as they are collected. While black tea reacts with oxygen during the drying process, green tea is not allowed to react with oxygen.

The caffeine ratio in green tea is lower than black tea.

Herbal Tea

Basically they are including dried plant leaves. Herbal teas have been used to support the treatment of many diseases from past to present. However, it is necessary to be really careful when using it, to consume it in the right dosage and way. Herbal teas with many varieties from linden to sage are our best friends, especially in winter colds.

Fruit Tea

Fruit teas are beverages with the aroma of many fruits such as apple, blackberry, lemon, pomegranate, and softer than black tea. But they do not include black tea leaves.

How to keep and serve Turkish tea for long shelf life?

In order for the tea to preserve its aroma and freshness for a long time, there are some points that should be considered while preserving.

1- Small Container
First of all, we recommend that you choose a small container, because each opening the jar in which you store your tea will cause the tea to come into contact with the air.

2-Ceramic or Glass Container
It is recommended to store the tea in an airtight glass or ceramic jar. Because plastic jars can be quickly affected by external factors such as odor and light. Also, storing it in an open-air container can cause the tea to spoil quickly.

3-Away From Sunlight
It is recommended not to expose the tea to direct sunlight but to store it in a dark, closed cupboard or drawer.

4-Do Not Keep It In The Fridge
You do not need to keep the tea in the fridge. However, it should not be an environment that is too hot and humid.

5- Do Not Leave A Spoon
Take care not to leave any metal or plastic spoons in the tea. The spoon and the tea leaves can interact and affect the aroma of the tea.

6-Odor Free
We recommend that you do not store your tea with foods that emit too much odor, such as spices.

Tea doesn't spoil for a long time

The storage conditions of the tea that we mentioned above are important for preserving the freshness of the tea, not for it to spoil.
Otherwise, tea is not a food that spoils quickly.

Expiry dates are noted on the tea packages. This is usually 3-4 years for packet teas and 2-3 years for bagged teas.