What is Turkish Tea? Recipe, Benefits & Side Effects

There are many health benefits such as improved digestion and immunity, associated with drinking Turkish tea regularly. Nowadays, leading companies are launching products that combine different flavours such as black tea with herbal variants to target various consumer preferences. Caykur is unanimously considered the best and the healthiest Turkish tea brand whose each product passes the quality control test of 51 different laboratories. Apart from Caykur, other famous Turkish tea brands around the globe include Dogadan, Hazer Baba, Dogus, Lipton, Hafiz Mustafa, and more. Each brand contains a unique blend of Turkish tea ingredients and is available in a huge variety of flavours.

Recipe for Brewing a Turkish Tea

Turkish tea preparation requires a dual teapot i.e. two teapots stacked over one another in a particular manner called "çaydanlık". Water is brought to a boil in the larger lower teapot to keep the tea hot. After some time, a part of this water is used to fill the relatively smaller teapot on top of the stack and infuse it with several spoons of loose tea leaves to prepare a strong beverage. While serving, the remaining water in the bottom pot is used to dilute the tea on an individual basis, allowing customers to adjust the tea strength in their cup between strong, normal, and lite based on their personal preferences.

Turkish tea brewing recipe remains almost fixed while the ingredients, varieties, and flavors of this tea are subject to changes and vary. It is recommended to refrain from overboiling the water to avoid bitterness, and let the preparation rest for a few seconds after brewing to preserve its taste and essential health benefits. The caffeine levels in Turkish black tea are lower than in coffee, so drinking tea ensures a more balanced energy boost. Caffeine, when consumed in moderation, relieves headaches and promotes mental well-being in individuals.

Benefits of Consuming Turkish Tea

There are numerous other benefits of consuming Turkish tea in daily routine especially black tea and herbal formulations such as apple tea, pomegranate tea, love tea, and more.

Turkish Black Tea is rich in antioxidants including polyphenols that improve the concentration and energy levels in any individual. This tea also has many anti-cancer properties that aid in the maintenance of human body metabolism, the heart, and gut health.
Turkish Apple Tea helps in managing diabetes, cures constipation, boosts immunity, and promotes improved vision, bone, and heart health.
Turkish Pomegranate Tea prevents cell damage, reduces inflammation, and fights free radicals. Apart from lowering cholesterol levels, it aids in digestion and keeps the heart healthy. It shows antimicrobial effects and is also quite effective against certain types of cancer.

Informational Frequently Asked Questions Related to Turkish Tea

What is special about Turkish tea?

Keeping aside its herbal constituents, what makes this tea unique is the tea-to-water ratio while brewing is highly variable and changes with the types of tea leaves being used. The final composition of any tea gets influenced by its origin, grade, harvesting time, oxidation period, and a variety of other factors and these very elements are what is different about Turkish tea.

What is Turkish tea made of?

Only the roasted black tea leaves and the boiling water serve as ingredients in Turkish Tea.

What is Turkey tea?

Turkish tea is a kind of black tea that is derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, grown on the northeastern Black Sea coast of Turkey.

When to drink Turkish tea?

Tea intake is recommended one to two hours after the main meal. However, it is commonly observed that Traditional Turks usually consume tea at breakfast or with snacks, biscuits, and cookies. This is not a healthy practice as Turkish Tea has many side effects and its constituents inhibit iron absorption. Turkish Tea contains tannins that can bind with iron and cause anemia.

Is Turkish tea good for health?

Turkish tea contains antioxidants that lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure which is beneficial for the proper functioning of the heart. Different Turkish teas are used to treat specific ailments based on their composition and ingredients used.

What can I serve with Turkish tea?

Tea can be served with many things, such as sugar cubes, honey, chocolate, Turkish desserts and bun-pie, cakes, cookies, biscuits, and many more.

Can I put milk in Turkish tea?

No, this tea is not typically relished with milk. Authentic Turkish tea is traditionally served with beet sugar cubes. All that distinguishes Indian tea from Turkish tea is that Turkish tea is never served with lemon or milk. The boldness of the tea gets appreciated in its original taste and form.

What kind of teapot should I use to make perfect Turkish tea?

Traditional teapot, better known by the Turkish name ‘çaydanlık’ is used to brew the perfect Turkish Tea. It is made up of two teapots stacked on top of each other, with the lower being larger and the upper being comparatively smaller in size.

What does Turkish tea taste like?

According to the Turks, Turkish tea is smooth and bold with hints of sweetness. On the other hand, a visitor sipping this tea for the first time will describe it as bitter and extremely astringent.

Does Turkish tea have caffeine, sugar, alcohol, or calories?

Turkish tea contains approximately 62.2 mg of caffeine and 2 calories per cup. The traditional Turkish tea recipe does not call for the addition of alcohol or sugar.

Does Turkish tea make you sleepy?

No, Turkish tea will not put you to sleep. Instead, the highly concentrated black tea is rich in caffeine and stimulates brain chemical activities thus rendering a completely opposite effect. Turkish tea can cause insomnia, jitters, anxiety, and other side effects if consumed in large quantities.

Is it okay to drink Turkish tea every day?

Yes, about 5 cups of Turkish tea consumed on a daily basis is regarded as safe. Still, precautions must be taken because this unadulterated form of black tea is rich in caffeine and gets occasionally served with beet sugar cubes. The FDA recommends less than 400 mg of caffeine intake per day and finally, it all comes down to how strong your cup of Turkish tea is.

What are the benefits of Turkish tea?

Different Turkish teas are used for treating a variety of ailments. Each sort of Turkish tea contains different herbal ingredients such as apple tea granules, linden flowers and so on that are effective against specific health issues. Moreover, all types of Turkish tea do contain flavonoids and theaflavins which inhibit the growth of cancerous cells.

Is Turkish tea safe during pregnancy?

The answer is No, Consumption of Turkish tea is not recommended during pregnancy since it contains caffeine. This may cause insomnia, anxiety, and other health-related problems. For this reason, pregnant women should rarely consume Turkish tea, not exceeding one glass at a time.

Is Turkish tea good for weight loss?

In terms of etiquette, it is considered important to drink tea without sugar in order to avoid the health problems that sugar may cause. Studies have also found that catechins present in Turkish tea aid in the weight loss process. Hence, many people make Turkish tea a part of their weight-loss regime.

Are Persian tea and Turkish tea the same kind of tea?

No, these teas differ in terms of how they are brewed, the tea ingredients used, and the steeping time. However, they are the same in terms of the type of tea leaves used (loose-leaf black tea).

Why do Turkish people like tea so much?

Tea is an important part of Turkish culture. Offering and drinking tea together is considered a friendly gesture and part of practice to showcase their hospitality to visitors.

Where did Turkish tea come from?

It wasn't until 1924 that the Turkish parliament started encouraging tea cultivation in the northeastern region of Turkey. This marked the beginning of the Turkish Tea drinking culture around the world.

What is the best Turkish tea to buy?

Turkish Love Tea Mix is not only popular but also very delicious. Every cup of Turkish Love tea contains dried Orange, Hibiscus, Red Rose Bud, Purple Rose Bud, Lemon Peel, and Rosehip, all of which get sampled under completely natural conditions. Additionally, this herbal formulation stands as an unparalleled contender owing to its numerous health benefits on regular consumption.

Why is Turkish Tea Made in Two Pots?

The Turks designed the “çaydanlık”, a two-tiered kettle where the bottom part is for boiling water and the comparatively smaller upper part is for brewing Turkish tea. The boiling water in the larger and lower teapot is later used to adjust the strength of the tea while serving.

How to make Turkish tea at home?

One of the ways to brew an enchanting cup of Turkish tea at home is by adding around 50g of dried apple pieces, 1- 2 cloves, and a cinnamon stick per person to a pot and filling it with boiling water. After allowing this fusion to steep for 10 to 15 minutes, dip Caykur black tea bags (1 per person) into the infusion and steep further for 3 minutes to ready.

Know About Some of the Top-Quality Turkish Tea Products