Azerbaijani tea: preparation features, composition

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

In many countries, the custom of tea drinking is widespread. And Azerbaijan is no exception. In this country, with the help of the tea tradition, they show hospitality and respect for guests. Many will be interested in how to brew a delicious drink of rich color and what to serve it with.

Some historical facts

For a long time, tea came to the sunny country from China. Things changed in the 19th century as M. O. Novoselov decided to grow trees in experimental plots in the Caucasus.

In 1896, the first tea bush was planted in the Lankaran region of Azerbaijan. In 1900, the first experimental plots appeared. But Azerbaijani tea did not survive in this zone, since all the planted culture died in 1920.

The Soviet government decided to plant plots in Lankaran and Zakatala regions in 1928-29. In 1932-34. the level of laying plantations moved to the industrial level. Thus began the history of Azerbaijani tea.

1937 became a landmark for Azerbaijan. It has to do with the startproduction and production of tea leaves. In the future, the USSR, having received good motivation and the first success in this field, increased the volume of domestic culture:

• Georgian;
• Krasnodar;
• Azerbaijani.

By 1988, the sunny country that started it all was producing about 38.5 tons of finished tea a year.

However, the collapse of the USSR contributed to the deterioration of market relations in Azerbaijan. The military conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh was another factor that ruined the production of tea culture. Time has passed. The situation has improved thanks to the organization of joint ventures with Turkey and the UAE.

If initially Azerbaijani traditional tea was long leaf black tea, then in subsequent years foreign investments made it possible to produce mainly green tea.

Today, the following bases for cultivation and production of crops in Azerbaijan are allocated:

• Lenkoran.
• Astara.
• Lerik.
• Masallinskoe.
• Zaqatala.
• Belokamensk districts.

Tea ceremony in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani tea is a ritual drink of a sunny country. All important events in the life of citizens are accompanied by the use of this culture. In Japan, England or China, tea ceremonies are reverently observed. There is no such worship and observance of subtleties in Azerbaijan.

In this sunny country, it is customary to drink Azerchay tea from special cups called “armuds”. In translation, this word means "pear-shaped". The shape of the armuds really resemblesthis sweet fruit, since the top and bottom of the dish are wider than the intended "waist". There are different explanations for this phenomenon. Most common legends:

• comfortable to hold;
• reminiscent of a girlish figure.

However, a scientific explanation can also be found: due to the narrowed “waist”, the tea at the bottom cools down much more slowly than at the top. When the drink comes to an end, its temperature at the bottom is approximately equal to the original temperature.

Traditionally, tea is considered an obligatory attribute of matchmaking. Like many peoples, in Azerbaijan it is not customary to ask for the hand of a daughter “on the forehead”. When the matchmakers come to the bride's house, they speak in hints and ornate phrases. Parents express their response through the tea ceremony. If guests were offered tea with sugar in a cup, then soon they need to prepare for the wedding. If sugar is served separately from the drink, the answer is no.

Traditionally, this drink is always served before and after the main course. The hosts will definitely offer tea to their guest who comes to chat or on business. In the only case, Azerbaijanis will not serve a drink. The reason is as follows: if they do not want to see the guest in the house or consider him their enemy.

Features of making Azerbaijani tea

It takes more time to make delicious tea, but the result is worth it. For this you need:

1. Rinse the teapot with boiling water.
2. Pour dry leaves and let steep in a hot bowl.
3. Pourtea half boiling water.
4. Cover the dish with a napkin so that the spout is closed.
5. After some time, the drink is shaken, and boiling water is added to the kettle.
6. Cover again with a napkin.
7. Azerbaijani tea is ready to drink in 5 minutes.

Treat

In Azerbaijan it is customary to drink pure black tea or mixed with herbs. The green drink has not come into use, rather, it is a tribute to fashion. Tea is served without sugar, but the table is bursting with an abundance of sweets.

The most common treats are:

• Jam. Served with watermelon, white dogwood, heavenly small apples, young walnuts.
• Baklava. Each district prefers its own kind of this sweet.
• Halva. Not the gray mass that is sold in a regular store. A real sweetness from quality products with a secret in cooking.
• Sheki halva. It is produced and produced only in Azerbaijan. The secret of its preparation belongs to those families who have been in this business for 200 years.

Basic cooking recipes

Since, according to tradition, in a sunny country this drink is prepared in a samovar and then served to guests, in another country such conditions may not exist. But what if you want to try Azerbaijani tea. Cooking recipes are extremely diverse:

• Baku drink;
• darchin tea;
• with thyme and othersherbs (mint green and pepper, rose hips, mountain and yellow flowers, etc.);
• zyanchafil tea.

To make Baku tea you will need (for 0.5 liters of boiling water):

• black long leaf tea - 3 tsp slide;
• chopped thyme - 1-1.5 tsp;
• ground oregano - 1-1, 5 tsp

Brew like regular tea (you can let it brew longer). In this case, the herbs will reveal their aroma and taste.

To make darchin tea you need:

• crush cinnamon in a mortar and pour into prepared dishes;
• fill with water, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes;
• the broth is filtered through a strainer into another teapot and served with tea leaves (a sweetener is added to taste);
• the color of the drink should be a deep orange.

To make Zyanchafil tea you need:

• grind the ginger and pour into a bowl;
• pour in boiling water and simmer for 4 minutes;
• strain through a strainer into another teapot, serve with tea leaves with sweets to taste;
• the color of the drink should be yellow.

Secrets of Azerbaijani housewives

So, Azerbaijani tea was bought. Features of preparation are studied. But you need to know a few subtleties that will allow you to achieve an amazingly tasty result:

• You need to take a porcelain teapot. When leaves are poured into it, the dishes are placed on a hot, dry frying pan, under which the fire does notlit.
• Under no circumstances should the kettle be cleaned with detergents.
• Alternatively, Azerbaijanis can brew a drink in a separate small bowl over low heat until a foamy "hat" appears.
• Use good and tasty water for cooking.

Features of tea drinking

Azerbaijani tea is usually drunk with spices. Preferably use:

• carnation;
• ginger;
• cinnamon;
• cardamom.

In the summer heat, you can add rose oil (rose water) to your drink to quench your thirst. In order not to spoil its taste, refined sugar or granulated sugar is not added to it. Sweets for tea are a bite.

Traditionally, before taking the first sip, you need to dip a piece of refined sugar into it and bite off it. Even the old-timers will not remember where this custom came from. According to historical data, the tradition originates in the palaces of khans and shahs. To avoid poisoning with poison, sprinkled in tea, in the dark times of the Middle Ages it was customary to dip sugar into tea. If there was a dangerous ingredient in the drink, it would react with the sweetness. This is explained by the organic origin of poisons known at that time. The reaction was manifested as "boiling" or clouding of the drink.

There is a teahouse in every Azerbaijani city. This is a place where there is absolutely no food, but where you can enjoy an amazing traditional drink. The teahouse can serve dried fruits, nuts and sweets. It is believed that only men can visit this institution, so to speak,a kind of club for the strong half of humanity. In the teahouse, business and news are discussed, plans are made, relationships are maintained, and backgammon is played.

How to drink Azerbaijani tea?

For this you need:

• In order not to burn your fingers, armudu is placed on a cup holder.
• The temperature of the drink should be high. It is she who allows you to fully reveal the entire bouquet of tea.
• There is always a slight bitterness in the taste of a properly prepared drink, as a sign of caffeine.
• Armuda is rinsed with boiling water to preserve the rich and refined aroma. Then pour 2/3 of the glass with boiling water, and only after that add a strong tea leaves.

Those who once tasted real Azerbaijani tea will never forget its truly amazing taste and aroma. And the admiring reviews about the drink confirm this.