Turkish Tea Culture - Highest per Capita Tea Consumption in the World

It may be surprising to you but Turkey is the leading country in terms of annual per capita tea consumption[i]. Each Turk drinks an average of 1,300 cups of tea per year, each Turk consumer around 3-5 cups of tea daily and this number increases to 10 in winter days [ii]. 😊 When considered as per person this number exceeds countries like China, Ireland and the UK, which are the countries that most people would think have the highest level of tea consumption.

The most consumed is Black tea in Turkey and it is served in beautiful tulip-shaped small glass cups so that the color shines through as you can see in the pictures... 😊 Tea is also an indispensible part of Turkish Breakfast and Turkish bagel “simit” & Turkish tea is an awesome duo.

A Glass of Turkish Tea 😊

Only recently introduced in the 19th century, tea in Turkey has shot up to the most popular hot drink. “This jump in popularity is due to the fact that tea was imported as coffee costs began to rise thus making tea a cheaper alternative[iii]”. Tea is considered as an agricultural plant firstly during the Ottoman Empire around 1984, when Abdul Hamid II was in power. During these times, tea seeds imported from Japan first planted in the city of Bursa; however this attempt was not succesful as ecological climate of Bursa region was not suitable for tea cultivation. Later on, as a result of techical visits to Batum in 1917, where tea cultivation was developed, it was decided that Rize, which is a city in Northern coast, Black Sea Region of Turkey, had a suitable climate for tea plantation. Today, Black Sea Region, especially Rize, is still the region where most tea production in Turkey exists. [iv]

Tea is not only a beverage but also a basic socializing tool for Turkish daily life. It is consumed at all hours of the day, starting from breakfast until bedtime. So when breakfast is ready, it is said "tea is ready". Serving tea and drinking tea together is a sign of friendship, hospitality and courtesy. Tea shops and tea gardens where tea is served are special places where people meet and have daily conversations. A pot of tea is always ready to drink or serve guests in every home and office. Workplaces allow at least two tea breaks per working day. In addition to being the most consumed beverage after water in daily life, tea is also served on special occasions, ceremonies, events and meetings where all family members or guests come together and share common values.[i]

All in all, if you visit Turkey you will sea that tea is the most popular drink here and it will be served to you everywhere at anytime of the day😊. Turkish Tea Culture is also included in National Intangible Cultural Heritage list of Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and it has been nominated to be inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO as “Culture of Çay (tea), a symbol of identity, hospitality and social interaction”. [ii]

[i] https://aregem.ktb.gov.tr/TR-259059/cay-kulturu--tea-culture.html [ii] UNESCO - https://ich.unesco.org/en-state/turkey-TR [i] https://www.statista.com/statistics/507950/global-per-capita-tea-consumption-by-country/ [ii] https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2019/01/16/Turkey-tops-tea-drinking-chart-Each-Turk-drinks-an-average-of-1-300-cups-of-tea-per-year# [iii] https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-10-tea-loving-countries-in-the-world.html [iv] Milli Folklor-Uluslararası Kültür Araştırmaları Dergisi (National Folklore – Journal of International Culture Research) (2012) Vol:93, pg. 234-251 #turkishtea #foodculture #tea #folklore #cultureblog #turkishfood #foodblog #foodanddrinks #turkishteaglass