Turkish tea is the most-consumed drink in Turkey, and getting it right at home depends almost entirely on buying the right leaf. Supermarket black tea will not work. Here is what to look for in Prague and how to brew it.
Why Turkish tea is its own category
Turkish tea is grown on the Black Sea coast around Rize, where the climate produces a leaf that brews strong and deep red without turning harsh. It is a fine-cut black tea, designed for the double-teapot (çaydanlık) method: a concentrated brew on top, hot water below, and every glass diluted to taste.
That is why an English breakfast blend disappoints. It is cut differently, brewed differently, and cannot take the long steeping that Turkish tea is built for.
What we stock
We carry the main Turkish brands, including Çaykur — the state producer from Rize and the benchmark most Turkish families drink.
| Product | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| ÇAYKUR — Rize | 1 kg | 384 Kč |
| ÇAYKUR — Filiz | 500 g | 288 Kč |
| ÇAYKUR — Filiz | 1 kg | 420 Kč |
| MEVLANA — black tea | 500 g | 384 Kč |
| MEVLANA — black tea, Goran | 1 kg | 564 Kč |
| HAS — black tea | 200 g | 204 Kč |
| HAS — black tea | 400 g | 336 Kč |
| SUNTAT — Alice black tea | 500 g | 299 Kč |
Rize is the classic full-bodied everyday tea. Filiz is a finer, younger-leaf grade — slightly lighter and more aromatic. If you are buying your first bag, start with Rize.
Brewing it the Turkish way
Use a çaydanlık, the stacked double kettle. If you do not have one, a small teapot sitting on top of a saucepan works.
- Fill the lower kettle with water and bring it to the boil.
- Put the dry leaves in the upper pot — roughly two heaped teaspoons per person — and warm it on top of the steam for a minute or two.
- Pour boiling water from the lower kettle into the upper pot, refill the lower one, and return both to a low heat.
- Steep for 10 to 15 minutes. This feels far too long by British or Czech standards. It is not. The leaf is cut for it.
- Pour to taste: a measure of the strong brew into the glass, then top up with hot water from the lower kettle.
The strength names are worth knowing: koyu (dark and strong), tavşan kanı — literally “rabbit’s blood”, the ideal clear reddish colour — and açık (light).
A few practical points
Serve it in the small tulip-shaped glasses, not mugs. The shape is not decoration: it keeps the top hot while the base stays cool enough to hold, and it shows the colour, which is how Turkish drinkers judge a brew.
Never add milk. Lemon is acceptable but uncommon. Sugar goes in the glass, not the pot.
Store the tea in an airtight container away from light. A kilo lasts a long time, and it will fade if you leave the bag open.
Where to find us
Our Turkish grocery shelves sit alongside the butcher counter at Anatolia Meat Market, Na Poříčí 1933/36, Prague 1, open every day 09:00–21:00.
Call +420 727 974 844 or see the online menu.
Prices listed are those on our online menu and may change; the current price is always shown there and in store.
