Straight ・ Rize
Rize
A tea with very low export volume.
- Origin
- Turkey
- Liquor color
- Dark Brown
- How to enjoy
- Best enjoyed as chai or straight tea
About Rize
This is Turkey's national black tea, primarily grown in Rize Province along the Black Sea coast. Most of it is consumed domestically, with little exported. The Turkish way is to brew it strong in a double teapot called a çaydanlık and enjoy it in small tulip-shaped glasses, often with added sugar.
How to brew
Good tea comes down to three basics: the amount of leaves, fresh boiling water, and steeping time. Use about one teaspoon (3g) of leaves per cup, pour freshly boiled water at 95–100°C briskly over them, put the lid on the pot, and steep for 2.5–3 minutes. When the leaves circulate up and down in the pot (the 'jumping' effect), the aroma and flavor come out well.
- As a straight tea
- Enjoy the tea's natural aroma and liquor color. Steep for about 2.5–3 minutes; shorten it slightly if you find it too astringent. Pour out to the very last drop (the 'best drop') so the second cup keeps the same strength.
- As a milk tea
- Full-bodied teas pair well with milk. Use slightly more leaves and steep a bit longer (3–4 minutes) for a strong brew, then add room-temperature milk afterwards. Not overheating the milk lets the tea's aroma shine.
- As chai
- Simmer fine leaves in milk and water, then add spices such as ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon with sugar and bring to a boil for a rich spiced chai. Teas that brew strong and astringent work best here.
A general guide to brewing black tea. Adjust to the tea and your taste.