How to Make Turkish Tea: The Two-Pot Çay Recipe, Step by Step
Turkish tea is brewed in two pots: a strong 10-minute brew in the small one, plain boiled water in the large. The full çay recipe, ratios, and serving tips.
Turkish tea is brewed with two pots: a small one holding a very strong brew, and a larger one holding plain boiled water. Each glass gets mixed from both at the moment of serving. That split is the core of the method, and it is what most homemade attempts miss.
More than a few visitors leave Turkey with the taste of Turkish tea fresh on their palates, and more than likely with a box or two in their luggage. Çay is a corner of Turkish cuisine you can recreate at home with two pots and the right leaves. Anyone can manage the steps. The tricks decide the result: they cannot rescue poor tea, and skipping them wastes good tea. For where the tea habit fits into eating your way through the city itself, start with our Istanbul food guide.
What you need at a glance
| Item | What the recipe calls for |
|---|---|
| Tea | Çaykur Tiryaki Çayı, one of dozens of Turkish brands and easy to find in any market |
| Water | Bottled or free of lime traces, brought to a full boil |
| Pots | A small pot for the strong brew, a larger pot or kettle for additional boiled water |
| Teapot | Porcelain, which makes a big difference in the taste |
| Glasses | 100 ml per serving, with one teaspoon of tea measured per glass |
Which tea to buy
In Turkey, the whole eastern Black Sea coast is lined with tea farms, and there are dozens of brands to choose from. If you have not bought your tea yet, our recommendation is Çaykur Tiryaki Çayı. It sits on the shelf of every market in the country and comes in several package sizes.
Why the water and the pot matter
Most of Turkey’s black tea is processed using an oxidization method, so the water has to be boiling hot for the leaves to brew properly. Two quieter details shape the glass from there. Water carrying traces of lime dulls the taste, so use bottled water or water without lime. A porcelain teapot makes a big difference as well.
How to make Turkish tea, step by step
The proper method takes four steps:
- Set up two pots: a small pot for a very strong tea brew, and a larger pot or kettle for additional boiled water.
- Boil water in the small pot. Add one teaspoon of tea for each 100 ml glass you plan to serve, then let the mixture steep for approximately 10 minutes. There is no need for reheating.
- Boil the additional water in your larger pot or kettle.
- To serve, fill each glass only one third with the brewed tea. Top up the rest with the additional boiled water. A good Turkish tea should be almost red in color when served.
We hope the recipe sticks and the brewing continues. Once çay is part of your routine, the companion skill is how to make Turkish coffee, and the rest of the glass-and-cup lineup waits in our guide to Turkish drinks. And when you make it to Istanbul in person, our Istanbul food tours have run since 2013, with groups capped at 10 guests. Afiyet olsun, and enjoy your tea.
