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Azerbaijani black tea
Çay: thyme-scented black tea in armudu glasses, with jam
In Azerbaijan tea comes before, during and after everything, served in small pear-shaped armudu glasses in teahouses (çayxana) from Baku's boulevard to the hill towns of Lankaran, where most of the country's tea is grown. It is strong, clear and red-brown, often brewed with a sprig of mountain thyme (kəklikotu) or a crushed cardamom pod, and served with lemon, sugar cubes and little dishes of jam: cherry, quince, white cherry or even walnut. People sip the tea through a sugar cube held in the mouth or with a spoonful of jam, never stirring jam into the glass. It is also the drink that settles a match: tea served sweet at a matchmaking visit means yes. Chef's tip: warm the pot and glasses with boiling water first; tea brewed in a cold pot never reaches full colour.
- Total time
- 12 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 tsp loose black teaLankaran or Ceylon
- 2 sprigs fresh thymeor 1 cardamom pod, lightly crushed
- 3 ¼ cups boiling waterplus extra for warming
- 4 slices lemon (optional)to serve
- 8 sugar cubes (optional)to serve
- 4 tbsp cherry or quince jam (optional)to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Fill a teapot and 4 armudu glasses (or small heatproof glasses) with boiling water and leave for 1 minute, then pour it away.
1 minStep 2: Put 3 tsp loose black tea and 2 sprigs fresh thyme in the warm pot, pour in a third of 1 ¼ cups boiling water and cover. Leave for 1 minute, then top up with more of 2 cups boiling water, leaving room at the top.
1 minStep 3: Set the pot over a pan of barely simmering water, or wrap it in a tea towel, and brew for 5–7 minutes, until the tea is a deep, clear red-brown and smells of thyme.
7 minStep 4: A common mistake is boiling the leaves: the tea turns cloudy and bitter. Keep it hot, but never let it bubble.
Step 5: Pour the tea into the glasses three-quarters full, topping up with plain hot water if anyone likes it lighter.
Step 6: Serve with 4 slices lemon, 8 sugar cubes and 4 tbsp cherry or quince jam in small dishes, for sipping alongside rather than stirring in.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 5 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does azerbaijani black tea take?
- About 12 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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