Tea culture

Workers from African countries, who filled the void to pick tea in the northern province of Rize last year after the border was sealed for Georgian workers due to the coronavirus pandemic, have lent a hand to Turkish tea plantation owners this year too.

Workers from Gambia, Senegal, Sudan and Zambia, residing in Turkey with work permits, flocked to Rize to pick tea.

A Tea Library, the first of its kind in Turkey, has been launched at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University in the Black Sea province of Rize.

Currently, the library holds 938 volumes of books, all dedicated to tea, which is one of Turkish people's favorite hot drinks.

Turkey has broken its own record in tea consumption with an increase from 3.5 to 4 kilograms per person annually amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the International Tea Committee.

Consumption at cafes or tea houses declined due to lockdowns and curfews, but the pandemic did not stop tea consumption from exceeding previous levels.

Workers from African countries filled the void to pick tea in the Black Sea province of Rize after nationals of Georgia and Azerbaijan could not come to Turkey as the borders were closed in line with measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Some people in Istanbul have been converting their houses into makeshift cafes with a limited number of people at a time as the country has shuttered restaurants and cafes to curb the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak.

Turkey earned over $15.4 million when it exported over 4,000 tons of tea to 100 countries in the first 11 months of 2020, according to Eastern Black Sea Exporters' Association data.

Turkey's tea export revenue increased 17% in the January-November period year-on-year, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency.

Turkey leads the world in tea consumption per capita, so how much does it cost to sip a cup of the country's favorite hot beverage in its largest metropolis?

A Turkish person consumes an average of 1,300 cups of tea every year, according to the head of a coffeehouse association.

Germany was the top importer of Turkish tea, purchasing 128 tons in the first eight months of this year.

The plant looked completely useless. A shrub with green leaves and no fruit. The tiny leaves seemed to be inedible; one could not even use them leaves in wrapped leaf dishes. What's more, the local peasants were not convinced.