How To: Make Turkish Tea

During a semester abroad, I drank so much black Turkish tea (çay), I had to give up sugar cubes. I love the smell of the leaves warming up, the way the glasses are weighted at the bottom, and how terribly I can overdose on caffeine with a pot of this brewing all day.

Here, I show you how I make Turkish tea, although nowadays I allow myself some sugar :)

A nice mahogany color.
Alright, folks, let me introduce you to a Turkish teapot (çaydanlık). This contraption is two tea pots that stack on top of each other. You keep plain water boiling in the bottom pot, and a dense black tea mixture warming in the upper teapot (this prevents scalding the tea leaves). You replenish the bottom with water and the top with tea/water as you drink, thereby giving you hot Turkish tea all day. This setup also allows you to determine how strong your tea will be, by adding more or less water.

Together.	Apart.

How To Brew Turkish Tea

1. Fill the bottom pot about half-full with water. Set it on the stove at a medium heat.
2. Scoop two spoonfuls of loose Turkish tea (alternatively you could use black tea bags) into the top pot, and pour in just enough water to moisten the leaves. Place this smaller pot ontop of the large pot on the stove, with the lid.
3. When the water in the bottom pot begins to boil, reduce the heat to low, then add enough water to the top teapot to cover the tea leaves. Then add a little more water.
4. Wait 7-10 minutes, or until the tea leaves sink to the bottom of the pot. Then pour the dense tea mixture into your tea glass until it is about 1/3 full.
5. Fill the remainder of the glass with plain water from the bottom teapot. The tea should have a mahogany color, but if you like it darker/lighter, go for it!
6. Return the pots to simmer on the stove, replenishing each with water as needed.

Mmmm, black tea concentrate.
That's it, you're done! Add some sugar if you like, and enjoy.

You don't have to enjoy Turkish tea in a curvy Turkish tea glass, but I think it makes the tea taste better ;)