Turkey has traditionally been a coffee country. They have been nuts about coffee since the 16th century, when the first coffeehouses opened in Istanbul. So, one would think they don’t really care much for tea. Well, one would be wrong. The Turks adore tea, or cay (chai), and their country has the world's highest per capita tea consumption (over 3 kilograms per person!). They even have an elaborate tea ceremony that has become popular on social media.
Turkey has known tea for centuries. Tea was brought to Turkey via the Silk Road in the 5th century. But it never really took off and was outshined by coffee in the Ottoman years. In 1878, tea was again brought to Turkey from Japan. Tea seeds were planted in the north-western city of Bursa, but the location was unsuitable. That year, a governor from the southern city of Adana named Mehmet Izzet published what is popularly known as The Tea Pamphlet (Cay Risalesi), which promoted the health benefits of tea. But it meandered along until 1918, when the government of Turkey appointed a well-known botanist to find a suitable location for the cultivation of tea. But this was the post-WW1 era, and the regions around the Black Sea were recovering from the devastation wrought by the Great War. Turkey itself was going through turmoil, and the war of independence was fought from 1919 to 1923.
After the war of independence, the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923, and Kemal Ataturk became its first president. That same year, the first economic congress held a meeting and decided that the country’s self-sufficiency was a priority. That decision would become a watershed moment for agriculture in the Republic of Turkey. In 1924, the country passed a law calling for tea cultivation in the Rize province by the Black Sea. The region has a mild climate with high precipitation and fertile soil, which is good for growing tea. It is sometimes called the "wettest corner of Turkey."
By 1937, Turkey was importing black tea seeds from its neighbor, Georgia. By 1940, they had imported 70 tons of black tea seeds to start tea plantations. Another pro-tea law was passed in 1940, one that gave government backing to tea farmers and improved cultivation. Seven years later, Turkey’s first tea factory was opened in Rize province. To this day, "Rize tea" (or "Rize çayi") is the name for the black tea that is used to make "Turkish" tea.
By 1965, Turkey was producing enough tea to become self-sufficient. A government-run tea directorate was established in 1971 to oversee all tea production. The directorate had a complete monopoly over tea production in Turkey. That monopoly was brought to an end in 1984, and private players were allowed. Forty years later, Turkey ranks first in the world in terms of per capita tea consumption! It is also the 5th largest producer of tea in the world, after China, India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.
Apart from Rize, tea is now grown in Trabzon, Artvin, and Giresun provinces. The tea leaves are still plucked by hand because machines can damage the leaves. Men and women work on the farms together.
Tea is fundamental to socializing in Turkey. Tea is served to visitors in any home, and tea is a part of daily life from sun up to sun down. The tea is served in small, tulip-shaped (thin-waist) glasses called "ince belli bardak." They have an interesting brewing process as well. The water for tea is boiled in a vessel called a caydanlik, which has a larger pot on the bottom and a smaller pot at the top. The tea leaves are dropped into the smaller pot at the top, and some of the boiled water is added to this section. (The pot has two spouts, one on the smaller pot and one on the larger pot.) This allows people to drink tea as they prefer it: strong, steeped tea or mild tea that has more water. Turkish tea is had without milk. The color of the tea indicates its quality and has various meanings. Kids drink a milder tea called pasa cayi, while adults drink a stiffer beverage called tavsan kani (rabbit blood), a strong black tea.
If you know about the Ottoman Empire’s coffeehouses, you’ll expect that Turkey has teahouses as well. And you’d be right. Gathering in public places and drinking a beverage while conversing with friends is a thing in Turkey. Cay Ocagi are teahouses where people gather and swap stories over cups of hot tea. You’ll find many people sitting in alleys and sipping the maroon liquid in between animated conversations. Walk through the inner cities, and you’ll see shopkeepers with a glass half-filled with tea on the counter. Tea gardens are also popular in the country as a place to unwind with friends.
