The Most Famous Turkish Beverages
Turkey has one of the colorful and multifarious culinary culture with the wide range of meals and beverages. Thanks to its geography and history, it has a tremendous culinary heritage through ages. You will see hot, cold, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. A great variety of hot and cold drinks can confuse you but I will list the beverages you should definetly taste before you leave from Turkey. Some of them can be categorized as in/out of season beverages but you can find and taste all of them at any season. Hopefully, this post will help you how, where and what to drink in a quick way.
TURKISH TEA / ÇAY
There are a lot of beverages define Turkish culture but tea is the most consumed one, for sure. You can find tea anywhere and anytime. There are tea plants and manufacturers in Black Sea of Turkey and black tea is the main tea you will drink. Some restaurants serves tea after the meal to show their hospitality. Not only restaurants but some shops also offer you tea when you look for souvenirs from their shops. So, you can be sure if someone offers you tea, heshe wants to show a warm welcome for you. Traditional tea glass has a red tulips designs and it is served with sugar next to the glass. Tea is a must for traditional Turkish breakfast. However breakfast is not enough to consume tea for Turkish people. As a person who has origin from Black sea, tea is boiling three times in a day at home since my childhood.
AYRAN
Ayran is very well- known drink all accross the country. It is a mixture of yoghurt, salt and water. The history of ayran goes back to nomadic culture in the Central Asia. This healthy and fresh drink is one of the best companion with your main meal such as meatball, kebap or grilled dishes.
As it is very simple drink, you can do at your home as well. Firstly, you will mix yoghurt very well. You can do it with spoon or blender. Then, pour water and salt into and mix it again. You can put it in refrigerator for a while. You can also buy from supermarkets.
One thing shows that ayran is a traditional and highly consumed beverage is events. There are local festivals in he name of ayran in Susurluk. I remember when I was travelling to Izmir, bus stopped in Susurluk in Balıkesir and most of people had a chance to drink cold, bubbled ayran in its specific cup. This is a kind of “local bus tradition” for passengers go Agean side of Turkey. The reason I mentioned this, if you travel by car or bus, don’t forget to to taste it.
TURKISH COFFEE
Turkish coffee has a long and colorful voyage starting from Etyhophia, then Yemen, resting in Ottoman land for centuries and missioned to introduce itself to Europe. Even the word “kahvaltı” (breakfast), means after coffee, shows how coffee has an important place in Turkish culture. Coffee is not only a beverage but also a socializing tool for years. Let’s imagine now you sit in a coffee shop and you are about to order your Turkish coffee. First question you will answer is how you want your coffee. There are three types coffee options related with sugar rate inside: Şekerli/with sugar, orta/medium sugar and sade/without sugar. If you try it first time and have no issue related with sugar, I advice you medium one. Turkish coffee is served with a small glass of water and Turkish delight. It is one of the significant beverage as a socio-cultural instrument. There is a proverb “A cup of coffee has a forty years memory.” It means when you drink coffee with your friend, this friendship will last 4o years. It is also a must-served during pre-marriage traditions and guests at your home. Fortune teller is another tradition still alive. There are some people claim or believe that they can read your fortune through the remains of your coffee. It became a popular activitiy and many coffee shops has fortune teller for their visitors.
