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–+ servings
A steaming glass of Turkish black tea served in a traditional tulip-shaped glass on a small saucer.
4.89 from 9 votes

How to Make Turkish Tea (Çay)

By Zerrin & Yusuf
Learn how to make Turkish tea (çay) the traditional way using a double teapot. It's easy to prepare and served in small Turkish tea glasses.
Yields: 10 tea glasses
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PREP 5 minutes
COOK 15 minutes
TOTAL 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
 

  • 2-3 tablespoons loose black tea leaves, we use 2, see Note 1
  • 600 ml (2½ cups) water, for the upper teapot (see Note 3)
  • additional water, for the lower teapot

INSTRUCTIONS
 

  • Fill the lower, larger teapot with water up to the level where the spout joins the teapot. Bring it to a boil.
  • Once it boils, pour some of the boiling water into the upper, smaller teapot, filling it to the level where the spout joins the teapot. Add the loose tea leaves and put the lid on.
  • Top up the lower teapot with water, place it back on the stove, and set the upper teapot on top.
  • Let the water in the lower teapot come to a boil again. Once it boils, turn off the heat completely. Let the teapots rest for about 10 minutes.
  • Remove the lid of the upper teapot and check whether the tea leaves have swollen and mostly settled at the bottom. The tea should have a beautiful reddish-brown color. A few leaves floating on top are perfectly fine. If there are still lots of leaves on the surface, let it sit a little longer.
  • Pour some brewed tea from the upper teapot into a Turkish tea glass, usually filling it a little less than halfway. Top it up with hot water from the lower teapot. Adjust the amount of brewed tea to make it as strong or light as you like. (see Note 4)
  • Keep the teapots on the lowest heat while serving so the tea stays hot. In Türkiye, we rarely stop at one glass! It's common to have two, three, or even more, refilling our glasses as we go.
  • Serve with sugar cubes or granulated sugar and thin lemon slices on the side so everyone can add some to their tea if they like.

NOTES

1. Amount of tea: We usually use 2 tablespoons of Turkish loose black tea, most often Çaykur Çay Çiçeği. You can use 3 tablespoons if you prefer a stronger brew. The amount may vary depending on the tea brand and your personal taste.
2. For a more aromatic tea: You can also add some Tomurcuk (Earl Grey) tea, a bergamot-flavored black tea popular in Türkiye. Add about ½ tablespoon to your regular black tea for a subtle bergamot flavor, or use 1 tablespoon of each for a more aromatic brew.
3. Amount of water and yield: The measurements we give here are for our medium-sized Turkish double teapot. We fill each pot to where the spout joins it. This makes about 10 traditional Turkish tea glasses, depending on how strong you like your tea. And remember, in Türkiye, we often drink several glasses in one sitting, so 10 glasses doesn't mean 10 people!
4. Using a tea strainer: If you don't want any tea leaves in your glass, use a small tea strainer when pouring. But if the tea has brewed properly, most of the leaves will have settled at the bottom of the teapot. A few might still get into your glass, but that's perfectly fine. They'll settle at the bottom of the glass too.
5. How long does Turkish tea stay fresh? Turkish tea tastes best when freshly brewed. We recommend drinking it within an hour for the best flavor. You can keep the teapots on the lowest heat while serving, but avoid letting the tea boil again, as it can develop a bitter taste.

NUTRITION

Calories: 0.05kcalCarbohydrates: 0.01gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 2mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.002mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

ADDITIONAL INFO

Course Drink
Cuisine Turkish
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