It is always time for tea

I sometimes wonder how writers would plot novels, poets create poems, storytellers tell tales if tea was not a part of their daily lives. Where would men gather and discuss political issues if there were no tea houses? What reason would women have to visit each other if they could not invite each other to take afternoon tea? What would we drink at seaside cafes if we couldn't order tea? How would ferry rides end without sipping a glass of tea on the docks? How would breakfast, lunch or dinner be completed or digestion be aided without a well-brewed tea. Tea warms not only your hands but also your heart and softens the athmosphere in any gathering.

When compared with the Chinese, Japanese or Indians, our love affair with tea is rather new. It is surprising to see that the history of growing tea in Turkey is only about 80 years old. Tea was imported in the 18th century but was not distributed widely. Towards the end of the 19th century, seeds were brought from Japan but there was no success in growing them. That was not the case for our neighbors. Tea has been part of the Russian, Iranian, Caucasian and Azerbeijani culture and it was grown by Russians in the early 20th century around the Black Sea city of Batum in Georgia, near the Turkish border. Turkish workers who went to Batum and other Russian cities to work saw how it was grown, brought back seedlings and had success in growing them, especially in Rize.