If there is one word to know before going on your first trip to Turkey, it is the word “çay.” Right after “hello” (merhaba) and “thank you” (teşekkür ederim), you are going to hear and see this more than anything else. Çay (pronounced “chai” but not at all related to chai tea) is Turkish black tea, and it is absolutely integral to Turkish lifestyle and culture. The locals drink çay as if it were a natural spring bubbling up from the earth, and Turkey boasts the highest tea consumption per capita in the world. As a traveler, you will encounter this beverage everywhere — and not only in cafés and restaurants as you dine.
You will be able to experience for yourself one of the most charming traditions of deep-seated tea culture in Istanbul when you peruse local shops. In most stores that you enter, the shop owner will greet you warmly and (assuming you are polite back) ask, “Çay?”, almost hopefully. It is a simple traditional gesture of hospitality, welcoming you graciously into their space. At first, you might suspiciously think they are trying to trick you into buying something, but there are no expectations of purchasing from them. In fact, it could actually be considered impolite to decline! Rather than returning a slight affront to their warmth, it would be best to accept. After all, travel is all about saying yes, right?
The store owner will disappear into the back for a minute or so, making you wonder if you said something to upset them, and suddenly they will reappear with a steaming tulip-shaped cup of black tea in their hands. It is semi-impractical since shopping is easier with two hands, but it is a gesture so charming that it’s always worth it.
Shopping in Istanbul is a vibrant experience
The traditions of Turkish tea culture
Çay is a vital piece of culture and tradition in Turkey. It is a staple in daily diet and routine, integral to social life and interactions ranging from family settings to business transactions. It is a symbol of open-hearted hospitality and welcome. You will see locals lounging at street cafés, cigarette in one hand and çay in the other, and older folk arguing with friends over backgammon with their tea cups nearby.
Surprisingly, tea’s integral part in Turkish tradition didn’t come into being until the 1900s. Before this modern shift, coffee was considered the popular national beverage. The increasing expense of importation, as well as the difficulty to produce coffee on national soil, turned the tide towards tea. The most common type of tea you will find comes from the province of Rize on the coast of the Black Sea, and tea production is now one of the leading agricultural products of Turkey. Different regions of Turkey have developed different brewing and preparation rituals, which further enrich Turkish tea culture. Çay is generally taken without milk in a tiny glass cup, sporting a robust flavor and deep rust color.
Be sure to say yes when offered çay at the local shops, and respond with the same level of respect that they grant you in order to be a considerate visitor when visiting Turkey. And if you are not a tea drinker — here is where you expand your palette! Because you’re not just saying yes to çay, you are saying yes to taking part in a Turkish tradition!
