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(CNN) — Perched atop a hauntingly craggy mountain in northeastern Turkey, the village of Haremtepe resembles an island surrounded by a vast ocean of greenery: verdant, bushy rows of tea plantations continue as far as the misty skies fleetingly show.
Dozens of local tea pickers, almost completely hidden among the deep green vegetation of the hill, quickly and efficiently pluck the glittering leaves and deposit them in large cloth bags that are slung over their shoulders before the next deluge begins.
“This place is special,” says Kenan Çiftçi, the owner of a tea plantation and cafe in the dizzying village. “Normally, tea can only be grown in equatorial regions. But the microclimate of the area, lots of sun and rain, allows tea to thrive.”
Here and everywhere in Rize – a fertile Black Sea province known for its humid climate, monsoon-like rains and breathtaking vistas – most tea is grown in what is the world’s largest nation of tea drinkers.
‘Culinary delight’
Much of Turkish tea comes from the lush plantations of the Rize province.
Ruslan Kalnitsky/Adobe Stock
Brewed in a samovar-like utensil called a boiler, the powerful loose-leaf black tea is usually drunk very regularly from small, tulip-shaped glasses. At the same time, the traditional technique of brewing Turkish tea – which uses a special “double-boiling” system of two boilers stacked on top of each other – can take a long time to prepare, and thus goes hand in hand with the often slower pace of Turkish tea. to live.
From the rural areas of the Black Sea to the laid-back Kurdish tea gardens of eastern Turkey and the ultra-hip cafes of Istanbul, tea is used for everything from welcoming strangers to catching up with friends; kick off the day to relax at the end of a meal; or to slurp languidly at a game of backgammon.
“Large-scale tea production here is a relatively modern phenomenon,” Karaman adds. “But it grew and spread quickly and became deeply entrenched in the culture. Now it feels like tea has been around for thousands of years.”
Shaking it up
Turkey processed 275,000 tons of tea in 2021.
Emre Ercin
Working exclusively with smallholder farmers, the company produces organic green and white teas, often using local ingredients such as yayla flowers from the nearby Kaçkar Mountains, which softens the taste and, according to some locals, has medicinal benefits.
“Turkish tea is concentrated on the ancient habits of people,” says founder Emre Ercin. “There is no variation. It is always the same taste. We want to change that.”
There is clearly a hunger for a new leaf: in 2021 Lazika processed about seven tons of hand-picked tea, but production has increased significantly and this year it will process 25 tons.
The company has also opened a cafe in Istanbul to sell its wares, with more to follow soon. “Our consumers have a new taste. It just takes some effort,” says Ercin. “Their eyes are opened.”
“I try to make the best tea by processing the fresh tea leaves, which are harvested by hand without damaging the tea plant, with great care and precision, while preserving the product structure,” she says.
‘Deep love’
A scientist at ÇAYKUR, the Turkish state-owned tea production company.
Peter Yeung
Together with her friend Yasemin Yazıcı, they now harvest and process high-quality white tea leaves by hand, as well as handmade green tea, black tea and even Japanese-style matcha.
“I have a very deep love for tea production,” Turan adds. “We started with the realization that we young people have a responsibility to know, develop and innovate the history of Turkish tea.”
In Çaykur’s labs, scientists in white coats are constantly testing new technology and techniques to improve the taste and consistency of the product, monitoring everything from pH levels to color tone. For certain blends, a “2.5 leaf” process is used to take only the bud and two youngest leaves from the tea bush – considered by some to be the most refined flavor.
“We are always trying to create new levels of quality,” said Muhammet Çomoğlu, who works for the state-run Rize Tea Research and Application Center (ÇAYMER). “For Turks, tea is one of the most important parts of the daily diet.”
But as Turkish tea continues to grow and develop in new directions, its ability to bring people together remains. As a toast to Turkey’s national drink, a 30-meter-high building in the shape of a gigantic Turkish tea glass – including bazaar, viewing terrace and in the future a museum – was opened in the city of Rize. year.
“Life without tea is no life at all,” says Hasan Önder, the bazaar’s manager. “We should celebrate this important part of Turkish life, both among ourselves and by sharing the wonderful story with visitors.”
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