Rize tea or Çay is a form of black tea—the best selling tea in Turkey. Produced in Rize Province on the eastern Black Sea coast of Turkey which has a mild climate with high precipitation and fertile soil, this natural all black loose tea when brewed is mahogany in color. Rize Tea is grown without utilizing pesticides, and produced without addition of chemical additives.
People throughout Turkey may drink tea at any time of the day. In addition to being consumed at home, it is served in Turkish cafés by a çayci (tea-waiter), in small, narrow-waisted glasses. It can be taken strong (“koyu” dark) or weak (“açik” light), and is traditionally accompanied by two or three lumps of beetroot sugar.
