Tea (or çay) is the national hot drink of Turkey--in fact, Turks have one of the highest per capita consumption rates of tea in the world, averaging nearly 1,000 cups per year. For me, not a day goes by without at least 5 cups of tea with 2 cubes of sugar in each! Tea is prepared using a double tea pot. Water is boiled in the lower (lager) pot and the loose-leaf tea is seeped in the top (smaller). This method allows each person to drink the tea as they desire. The tea is most often served in a small tulip-shaped glass, as seen in the picture on the left. The tricky part is holding the glass at the rim to avoid burning your fingers, as the water is boiling hot! Tea is offered as a sign of friendship and hospitality, and for this reason it takes center stage at most social gatherings and is far more popular than alcohol or coffee. In Turkey, the best conversations take place with a small group of friends in a crowded, smoke-filled tea house.
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