Tea, we discovered in our week in Istanbul, is a necessity of nearly every meal and occasion, and one fraught with ritual. It must be made with the right tea, it must be steeped for a long time and then diluted to the right color, and served in small wasp-waisted glasses. Sugar is common, but apparently optional.
At breakfast with our food walking tour, we got a look at the kitchen equipment for this, every bit as elaborate (and just as much a source of pride) as any complicated espresso machine might be elsewhere. We asked questions; we got answers, though we can't be absolutely sure they're right.
The elaborate steeping, we were told, is because Turkish teas, unlike those from Ceylon, are "low quality," or "harsh" and need the long steeping, followed by the dilution. The use of glasses rather than cups is to allow the maker to add just enough boiling water to the steeped and concentrated tea to get the color right. It could be so!
We do know, after experimentation, that even with Turkish tea bags, you can't get the same thing by just adding a teabag to hot water. Sadly, because I fell in love with the strong Turkish tea.
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