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Kok choy
Green tea
Uzbek green tea with the 'qaytarish' pouring ritual
In an Uzbek chaikhana, from Tashkent's shady teahouses to the courtyards of Khiva, the first thing to arrive is a teapot of kok choy, green tea, with small bowls (piala) and a plate of raisins, almonds and sweets. The host performs qaytarish: pours a bowl, tips it back into the pot, and repeats three times to blend the brew, then serves each guest a bowl only half full, a sign they should stay and be topped up. Green tea is drunk with plov to cut the oil, and all through hot summer days. Chef's tip: use water just off the boil (about 90°C) and warm the pot first; boiling water straight from the kettle makes Chinese green tea taste harsh.
- Total time
- 8 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 3 ½ oz raisins, almonds and dried apricots (optional)to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring 3 ¼ cups water to the boil, then leave it for 1–2 minutes until it reaches about 194°F.
Step 2: Rinse a teapot with a little of the hot water to warm it, and pour that water away.
Step 3: Put 2 tsp loose green tea (Chinese gunpowder or Uzbek no. 95) in the pot, pour in about 150 ml water to wet the leaves and pour it off at once; this rinses the dust.
Step 4: Fill the pot with the rest of the water, cover and leave for 3 minutes, until the tea is pale gold and smells grassy.
3 minStep 5: Pour a piala (bowl) of tea and tip it back into the pot. Repeat three times. A mistake newcomers make is skipping this: the first cup comes out weak and the last bitter.
Step 6: Pour each guest a half-full bowl, passing it with the right hand, the left on your heart. Top up often, and serve with 3 ½ oz raisins, almonds and dried apricots on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 2 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 0 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kok choy take?
- About 8 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 6 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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