Turkish Tea Istanbul

The Turkish Tea is usually different when compared to other teas all over the world. We usually drink our tea (don't get me wrong I am a coffee guy) from dried black tea leaves generally coming from the East Black Sea coast.

The tea is boiled for hours and hence its more dense, strong and black. It's usually softened with extra hot water or left along with a more strong taste. This is the basically the daily drink of most of the Turks, usually a couple per person depending on the occupation, even a dozen.

Tea is served during breakfasts and after each meal (even dinner). Actually there is no time frame for consuming tea in Turkey. It's the first thing offered to anyone visiting anywhere.

It's a reflection of hospitality, kindles that evolves eventually into a nice conversation. In the documented photo above you see an empty glass of Turkish tea. This is the general serving utensils, the red/white striped lower plate is like a trademark, the slim, delicate glass is very important for the tea tradition. The glass should be thin and should be delicate like "the waist of a beautiful lady" as some locals quote.

The best places to have such tea would be in small local tea houses that are traditional and not touristic. You can find such places in the Sultan Ahmet Area on the back streets.