Eastern peoples have a tea party - a real ritual, which is carried out each time in compliance with national traditions. Turks have a special relationship with tea. In Turkey, breakfast, lunch and dinner must end with the preparation of this drink. Even in hot weather, the Turks quench their thirst with hot strong tea. The main place in this process is occupied by Turkish glasses for tea.
History of glasses
The morning of every Turk begins with a cup of tea. Traditionally, this drink is drunk from special Turkish glasses called armands. They are small pear-shaped glass containers.
Turkish glasses for tea have their own story. There is a legend that Armuds were created as a symbol of perfect love. Poets and romantics compare this feeling with the incredible beauty of flowers. Therefore, the Armuds got the shape of a tulip bud. Some historians claim that the shape of the glass resembles the fruit of a stone pear - a tree popular in Central Asia.
Nowadays, tea drinking from the Armuds is rather traditional in nature and is part of the national culture of the Turks. Turkish glasses for tea have also become the subject of attracting the attention of foreign tourists. Each traveler during his stay in Turkey tries to try real tea and purchase a set of glasses.
The form
Armud - a pear-shaped glass made of transparent glass. It has thin, slightly narrowed to the middle of the wall and a wide thick bottom. It looks like any Turkish glass for tea.
Armud form is considered practical and convenient to use. Thanks to the narrowed edges, the glass is comfortable to hold in your hand. It does not slip and does not fall out even with sudden movements. The special form also improves the taste of brewed tea. The narrowed part of the cup retains heat.
In an oriental glass, the drink retains its aroma for a long time. A person drinking Turkish tea can fully feel all the notes of a herbal bouquet.
Turkish glasses for tea do not have a handle. During a tea party, the Armuds must be held at the waist.
The volume of the glass is 100 ml. Despite the small capacity, Armuds do not fill to the brim. The Turks decided to leave 1-2 cm on top. In some armoids this place is indicated by a rim. The free part of the glass is popularly called the place for the lips.
Types of Armud
To date, Turkish glasses are made from different materials. The most common are classic armuds made of colorless glass. Such glasses are used by the Turks for daily tea drinking. On holidays and celebrations, it is customary to drink tea from Armuds, decorated with colorful drawings or gold patterns.
The most expensive are armuds made of crystal, silver and gold. Simple dishes include glass, earthenware and porcelain glasses.
To receive guests use a set of Turkish glasses for tea, consisting of several pairs of armuds with saucers and a tray. Such sets can be both colorful and in a classic style.
How to drink tea from Armud
A glass, according to the Turks, is the best capacity that can convey the true aroma and taste of tea. Usually they drink black tea from Armuda . It is brewed in several stages:
- Pour in the teapot the right amount of dry tea with half the required volume of boiling water.
- Cover the container with a lid and leave for 2-3 minutes.
- The second half of boiling water is added to the teapot and again left for several minutes.
- The finished drink is poured into glasses.
Armuds are served on saucers. Sugar, jam and honey are served separately. Most Turks prefer lump sugar. It is slightly dipped in tea and chewed with a flavored drink.
Armuds are usually taken with the thumb and forefinger for the narrow part and brought to the lips without removing from the saucer. Sometimes for convenience use cup holders.
During tea drinking, the teapot remains on the table. The host offers guests to top up tea.
The duration of such a tea party is unlimited. And the owner of the house or the oldest person in the company should lead the process.
In Turkey, tea is offered to every guest, regardless of the purpose of his visit to the house. If the owner does not invite the guest to tea, this indicates a poor attitude towards the latter.